Pentecostal Politics of Space and Power
A Global Perspective
June 7−8−9, 2012
University of Padova, Italy
Pentecostalism emerged on a global scale in the twentieth century as one of the most influential religious movements and the most important recent development in Christianity.
With its new styles of religious leadership, powerful communication strategies, and widespread urban proliferation, Pentecostalism is creating new social orders and religious spaces while reshaping cities into battlegrounds of spiritual warfare.Massive Pentecostal crusades and religious events are transforming the nature of contemporary religious experience in many parts of the world. With the power of their charisma, messages and promises of salvation, deliverance, healing, and prosperity, women and men pastors have been steadily gaining influence in social, urban, religious and political spheres and challenging the power of mainstream religions and governments.
The conference brings scholars from Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the US together for a comparative analysis of the social, aesthetic and religious impact of Pentecostalism on global cities and societies. Plenary speakers include some of the leading thinkers in these areas.
Conference Program and website: http://www.pentecostalaesthetics.net/
This is a 25-minute video on Al Jazeera English on the rise of evangelical Christianity in China, particularly the underground “house churches” that are considered illegal and subject to state persecution. Strangely, the video begins with kung fu and goes on and on. You have to wait until after the 5-minute mark to hear even a mention of evangelical Christianity. Around the 16-minute mark, the journalist dude shows he is really all too amused with the idea of being under state surveillance. But it’s still worth watching, with some rare footage.
