Politics and Society in Filipino Pentecostalism on Negros (Oriental)

The explosive growth of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements has dramatically changed Christianity worldwide. According to some statistics this fast growing movements make more than half a billion adherents (World Christian Encyclopedia). Recently the question about the political influence of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements has come to the fore, among others due to Sarah Palin’s vice presidential nomination. Besides, since 2010 there is a first distinctly Pentecostal work on political theology on the market (Yong 2010). Interdisciplinary research on global Pentecostalism is increasingly engaging this issue. However, the focus is almost exclusively restricted on the two Americas, while other regions remain virtually unexplored.

The research project examines the relation between Pentecostalism, politics and society through a regional study on Negros (Oriental) in the Philippines. Within this historically, culturally and religiously differentiated context it investigates the articulations used by Pentecostals to express their understanding of and participation in politics and society. The main objectives are (1) a discourse analytical reconstruction of the key notions employed to conceptualize politics and society, including the transnational and transcultural processes which constitute them, as well as (2) a study of their use and their meaning for Filipino Pentecostals. A special focus will be on (1) the actual political and social participation, (2) the specific theological articulation of politics and society (‘political theology’), and (3) the relation between Pentecostalism and Islam.

Additional Information