Commercialisation of Religion in South Africa

“This volume is a critical text for the study of Pentecostalism, not only in South Africa, but Africa as a whole where ‘gold’ now supersedes God. A must read indeed for those interested in understanding the intersections of Pentecostalism, commerce and the marketization of religion in Africa." —Molly Manyonganise, Senior Lecturer, Zimbabwe Open University and Research Associate, University of Preto Aspects of the 2017 Final Report of the South African Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) have drawn strong criticism, particularly from South African scholars, politicians and the public. The criticism is largely regarding the constitutionality of its recommendation, which calls for regulation of the Religion to combat its abuse and commercialization. Scholars have criticized the CRL Rights Commission for hastening its investigation and releasing the final report without having a substantive understanding of what is meant by the commercialization of religion, and consequently the unconstitutional implications of the recommendation, to regulate religion. A close reading of this critique has pointed to the urgent need to assemble a cumulative body of research that examines and advances understanding of what is meant by the commercialization of religion. Accordingly, this book gathers scholarly contributions which offer valuable insights into the basics of what is meant by the commercialization of religion. Contributors examine this phenomenon from the historical roots to the manifestation in the contemporary world, particularly in South Africa. Mookgo Solomon Kgatle is a Professor at the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, University of South Africa, and a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y-Rated researcher (2019-2024) in African Pentecostalism. Sello Jonas Thinane is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of South Africa. Chammah J. Kaunda is Assistant Professor of World Christianity and Mission Studies at Yonsei University, Korean Republic. He is also an Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, and a Research Fellow for the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research.