GHANAIAN PENTECOSTALS IN LONDON, REVERSE MISSION, AND THE SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION

Atwam, Anthony and Jeremiah, Anderson (2023) GHANAIAN PENTECOSTALS IN LONDON, REVERSE MISSION, AND THE SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Since the 1960s, media houses, scholars, and religious people have increasingly drawn attention to the changing dynamics of religion and spirituality in Britain, which some scholars call spiritual revolution. This thesis examines the perception of this spiritual revolution among London Ghanaian Pentecostals (LGP) in a reverse mission context and what the church can possibly do. Due to the impact of the spiritual revolution, an action research methodology was adopted. Data collection methods were congregational surveys, interviews, and analysis of church documents. Summaries of the thesis’ main findings and arguments are as follows: The study establishes the inadequacy of the spiritual revolution as a concept to capture religious and spiritual changes among LGP. In our postcolonial context, this study argues in favour of using the term blessed reflex instead of reverse mission to describe non-Westerners’ missionary activities in Western lands. In line with action research methodology, this study offers unique empirical insights that contribute to our understanding of religious groups’ responses to the spiritual needs of people. Furthermore, the study proposes a new and unique missiology that focuses on meeting spiritual needs effectively and sensitively, a contribution to the theology and practice of Christian missions. The study also found that LGP are able to provide for their members’ spiritual needs but not for people outside their community. Therefore, following the successful example of African Pentecostalism, the study argues that LGP can be more successful in their mission endeavours if they identify a problem in British society and use the theology of the Holy Spirit to help. And whereas African Pentecostalism has deliverance theology, more research is needed in this area among Western scholars. In light of this, the study also discusses the downside of contemporary spirituality. In summary, this thesis contributes to the role of religion in contemporary Britain.