Pentecostalism and Post-Development: Exploring Religion as a Developmental Ideology in Ghanaian Migrant Communities

Abstract

Ghanaian pentecostal churches have established themselves in Gaborone, catering mainly for Ghanaian migrants, as well as migrants from countries such as Zambia and, Zimbabwe, and a few local Batswana. These churches compete with local Botswana Pentecostal churches, as well as those from Nigeria and elsewhere. This chapter demonstrates how in this situation a particular Pentecostal developmental orientation is being pursued that focuses on the market and on fostering entrepreneurship among Ghanaian migrants. Developing oneself, or one's community, is thereby reinterpreted in terms of pursuing the need to take business initiatives, to become successful in the market and to engage with certain religious practices that are meant to provoke a 'breakthrough' and that foster entrepreneurial skills and competences. By drawing attention to this embedded developmental thinking in Ghanaian Pentecostalism, this chapter addresses the problematic analytical distinction between religion and development, by showing how in a post-developmental perspective the two are becoming deeply intertwined in new and unprecedented ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]