Journal: Global Journal of Classical Theology
Volume: GJCT 18:1 (Jul 2021)
Article: Commercialization Of Religion In Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches In Ghana: Christian Ethical Analysis Of Their Strategies
Author: George Anderson, Jnr.

Commercialization Of Religion In Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches In Ghana: Christian Ethical Analysis Of Their Strategies

George Anderson Jnr1.

Department of Religion and Human Values
University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Abstract

Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity in Ghana has become a business. It is characterized by the sale and purchase of assortments of religious items and services between churches and consumers. This practice is said to have experienced its exponential index given the demand for miraculous mediation by desperate religious consumers to address their pickles. Irrespective of the abuses religious consumers are said to go through, coupled with the high cost of the religious items and services, one is curious to ascertain by what means the churches use to hook religious consumers to their offers. This paper thus sets out to reveal and analyze some of the main strategies Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in Ghana use to hook religious consumers onto their offers using Christian ethics as assessment criteria. The paper argues that the strategies the churches use are not in conformity with Christian ethics. Thus they are unethical.

Introduction

Over the years, Ghana has witnessed a proliferation of churches, many of which are of the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Neo-Prophetic genres. This proliferation of churches has sparkled among themselves religious competition. In this competition, each church tries to outdo the other by putting up strategies, and products and services that are likely to aid them to get new members and to maintain the already existing ones. Given the economic hardships in Ghana, the religious worldview of Ghanaians and religious consumers’ quest to be prosperous and be free from evil spirits, a majority of Ghanaian religious consumers happen to be attracted to the strategies, thus express exponential demand for the religious products and services the churches offer. The general belief held by religious consumers is that such religious products and services have supernatural power to address their pickles.

This situation has given rise to religious opportunism and interdependency, where domineering and materialistic religious leaders take advantage of the religious artlessness, vulnerability and gullibility of religious consumers to enrich themselves and to condition

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the minds of religious consumers to solely depend on them for their supernatural remedies to their problems. This interaction has also generated into the sale and purchase of products and services between Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic churches and desperate Ghanaian religious consumers. Whereas in this commercial interaction, reli...