Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Original Research - Special Collection: African Hermeneutics
‘Go deeper papa, prophesy, do something’: The popularity and commercialisation of prophetic deliverance in African Pentecostalism
Submitted: 24 January 2022 | Published: 25 April 2022
About the author(s)
Mookgo S. Kgatle, Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, School of Humanities, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South AfricaAbstract
Traditionally, the ministry of deliverance in African Pentecostalism involves the deliverance from generational curses, deliverance as spiritual warfare against witchcraft and other demonic forces and deliverance for healing. Most scholars have already covered the traditional practices of the ministry of deliverance. In this article what is new is the study of deliverance ministry within New Prophetic Churches (NPCs) in South Africa, which the article argues that it is different from the traditional practices. The deliverance ministry among the NPCs is a prophetic dimension that involves the consultation with the prophet to receive freedom from one’s predicaments. This dimension of deliverance raises a challenge of commercialisation within the practice of deliverance in Africa. To deal with the commercialisation of the ministry of deliverance, NPC pastors should heed the call of Jesus in Matthew 10:8 to give freely as they have received freely.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Jesus’ call for his disciples to minister freely to the needs of the people in the New Testament is juxtaposed with the missiological approaches on the commercialisation of religion in the context of the ministry of deliverance within NPCs such as Enlightened Christian Gathering in South Africa.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 3490Total article views: 5908
Crossref Citations
1. Is Africa Godforsaken? Neo-Pentecostal prophetism on African human agency and transcendence
Collium Banda
Verbum et Ecclesia vol: 44 issue: 1 year: 2023
doi: 10.4102/ve.v44i1.2696
2. Radical economic approach in Pentecostalism: A Pentecostal response to economic difficulties
Mookgo S. Kgatle
Theologia Viatorum vol: 48 issue: 1 year: 2024
doi: 10.4102/tv.v48i1.251
3. Religious Tourism in the Context of Pentecostalism: Developing a Pentecostal Pneumatological Theology of Tourism
Mookgo Solomon Kgatle
E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences first page: 1906 year: 2024
doi: 10.38159/ehass.202451122
4. Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa
Themba Shingange
Religions vol: 15 issue: 1 first page: 52 year: 2023
doi: 10.3390/rel15010052
5. “Transforming Faith: The Impact of Digital Media and Technology on Community Engagement in Contemporary Pentecostalism" in Southern Africa
Lindah Tsara, Tsitsi Mwapfaa
Pharos Journal of Theology issue: 106.4 year: 2025
doi: 10.46222/pharosjot.106.4020
6. Neo-Pentecostalism and gender-based violence before and during COVID-19 in South Africa
Themba Shingange
In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi vol: 57 issue: 1 year: 2023
doi: 10.4102/ids.v57i1.2953
7. Consultations in New Prophetic Churches and African Traditional Religions: A Case Study of Divine Healing in Assessing Syncretistic Practices in the South African Context
Mookgo Solomon Kgatle
Religions vol: 14 issue: 3 first page: 400 year: 2023
doi: 10.3390/rel14030400
8. New Prophetic Churches and Syncretism: A Critical View
Mangaliso Matshobane
Religions vol: 14 issue: 11 first page: 1383 year: 2023
doi: 10.3390/rel14111383
9. Resurgence of African Spiritualities in the New Prophetic Churches
Dr Kelebogile Thomas Resane
Pharos Journal of Theology issue: 105(2) year: 2024
doi: 10.46222/pharosjot.105.219
10. Promoting Dealmaking? Utilitarian Religiosity and Faith Among African Neo-Pentecostal Prophets
Collium Banda
Religions vol: 16 issue: 6 first page: 736 year: 2025
doi: 10.3390/rel16060736
11. South African Pentecostalism's impact on the spiritual and general well-being of MSM individuals
Albert Ikhile
International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293) vol: 7 issue: 2 first page: 380 year: 2025
doi: 10.36096/ijbes.v7i2.727
12. Emerging Religious Practices and their impact on women: An analysis of the case of MEC for Health, Limpopo vs Rabalago and Another 2018 (4) SA 270 (LP)
Maureen Mswela (Prof), Priccilar Vengesai
Pharos Journal of Theology issue: 106.4 year: 2025
doi: 10.46222/pharosjot.106.4036
13. Holiness and sustainable social transformation among neo-Pentecostal prophets in South Africa
Collium Banda
Verbum et Ecclesia vol: 45 issue: 1 year: 2024
doi: 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3218
14. The commercialisation of anointed water in two ministries: An African theological perspective
Mookgo S. Kgatle, Vuyisile Qiki
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi vol: 57 issue: 1 year: 2023
doi: 10.4102/ids.v57i1.2937
15. The use of anointed products during Covid-19 lockdown: An African Pentecostal spirituality experience
Mookgo Solomon Kgatle
Pharos Journal of Theology issue: 104(2) year: 2023
doi: 10.46222/pharosjot.104.223
16. Reconsidering Syncretism and Contextualization: The sangoma-Prophet Phenomenon in South African Neo-Prophetic Pentecostalism
Thabang R. Mofokeng
Religions vol: 15 issue: 1 first page: 84 year: 2024
doi: 10.3390/rel15010084
17. Understanding ministerial accountability in the New Pentecostal Prophetic churches
Sello E. Letswalo, Marilyn Naidoo
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies vol: 80 issue: 1 year: 2024
doi: 10.4102/hts.v80i1.10161
18. Serving the needy from the greedy: Reviewing Diakonia in African neo-Pentecostalism
Kimion Tagwirei
In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi vol: 57 issue: 1 year: 2023
doi: 10.4102/ids.v57i1.2981