I don't know if you've done some more general posts on the impact Neo-Pentecostals and Wagner's movement more specifically have had in various parts of Africa but that's a subject which needs attention - because American writers are so quick to assume what you're describing in this post is purely an indigenous African phenomenon.


by Bruce Wilson on Sat Jun 19, 2010 at 01:02:28 PM EST

It's funny how they are opposed to any other person having a "title", but take them for themselves.

Here's a thought.  We've been talking here about the quiverful movement, and the essence of that movement is creating cannon fodder for the Dominionists.  It's been shown that the movement is abusive in the extreme, and destructive to the personhood of women.  The children being raised are meant to be grunts in some kind of army (whether political or real has yet to be shown- I suspect political will fail, and they will get violent).  I would argue that they really don't care about the children EXCEPT for the political power they provide.  At the same time, we know that dominionists in general believe in extreme control and punishment of children- as I mentioned before, Rushdoony advocated killing children who were disobedient or disrespectful, and the testimony of a LOT of walkaways who were raised dominionist reflects this control and punishment.  The dominionists in Africa certainly don't care about the children they're murdering.  And as we've also shown, dominionist in general don't care about the poor or disadvantaged (except as targets for proselytizing).

Maybe we're starting to see one of the cores of the whole Dominionist thing- a lack of caring for those Jesus cared about- maybe even a core hostility towards those it is clear He loved.  

by ArchaeoBob on Sun Jun 20, 2010 at 09:46:10 AM EST

Richard Bartholomew wrote:  "Of course, I'm sure that Strader does not share Bishop Moses' enthusiasm for Ukpabio, and that he is just as appalled as most other people by the plight of children accused of witchcraft."

I wouldn't be so sure.  Witch-hunting, albeit usually in not-quite-as-lethal forms, is a built-in part of the theology of the "New Apostolic Reformation," notably their teachings on "strategic level spiritual warfare" and "occult level spiritual warfare," especially when coupled with the explicitly theocratic "seven mountains mandate."

"Occult level spiritual warfare" necessarily involves witch hunting, at least on the level of prayer against suspected witches, and sometimes -- even here in the U.S.A. -- it translates into more than just prayer.

For example, the well-known now-disgraced former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard used to brag about having driven "witches" out of town.  (About Ted Haggard, see Soldiers of Christ: Inside America's Most Powerful Megachurch by Jeff Sharlet, Harper's Magazine, November 2, 2006.  This article includes the following: "He sent teams to pray in front of the homes of supposed witches -- in one month, ten out of fifteen of his targets put their houses on the market. His congregation 'prayer-walked' nearly every street of the city.")  Before his sex scandal, Ted Haggard was a close associate of C. Peter Wagner.

"Strategic level spiritual warfare" is all about exorcising "territorial" demons and thereby claiming physical territory for the kingdom of Christ.   "Strategic level spiritual warfare" necessarily involves an attitude of conquest.  Even if done nonviolently, it is naturally likely to lead to attempts to marginalize anyone who is perceived as consorting with demons.  Such attempts are especially likely when those doing the "strategic level spiritual warfare" are also advocates of full-blown theocracy.

Anyhow, thanks very much for clarifying the relationship between Helen Ukpabio and C. Peter Wagner's Internaltional Coalition of Apostles.


by Diane Vera on Sun Jun 20, 2010 at 12:38:33 PM EST