African Reformation

The shift in Christianity’s centre of gravity to the Global South is now at the point where denominational leaders in the West are starting to take notice. That is one reason to take note of Political Spiritualities: The Pentecostal Revolution in Nigeria by University of Toronto academic Ruth Marshall. Another reason is her provocative critique of development theory as applied in the African context. Development experts continue to presume that “the more ‘modern’ Africans become, the more ... religious worldviews will recede from the realm of politics.” Contemporary developments in countries such as Nigeria reveal how reductive this presumption can be.

In religious terms, Nigeria exhibits an almost even split between Christian and Islamic adherents, along with some remaining identification with traditional African beliefs. The spectacular growth of Nigeria’s Pentecostal and independent charismatic churches Marshall terms the Born Again movement. This...