Religion and Attitudes Towards Life in South Africa

Worldwide, the Pentecostal Movement is attracting more and more followers. This book examines the attitudes of members of new Pentecostal churches, Charismatics, and born-again Christians towards society, economics, and politics in post-Apartheid South Africa, as well as their religiosity, their religious self-perception, and their social engagement. The study involved conducting interviews with church leaders, as well as a country-wide representative survey, to enable comparison with members of other churches. An additional survey with the same questionnaire was carried out among members of a prototype, new charismatic church in Soweto. As a result of their experiences in the Apartheid era, members of new Pentecostal churches tend to be more democratic and more critical of their political leaders than in other countries. Pentecostal churches often take an active interest in public affairs, assuming social responsibility, and forming a social and economic network for their ambitious members. They could well play an important role in the continuing reconciliation process in South Africa. (Series: Studies to Ethnicity, Religion and Democracy / Studien zu Ethnizitat, Religion und Demokratie - Vol. 13)