Religion, Economic Development and Cultural Change: The Contradictory Role of Pentecostal Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa (Celebrating CHANGE, DEFINING THE FUTURE: SOCIAL JUSTICE, DEMOCRACY AND CULTURAL Renewal) (Essay‪)‬

INTRODUCTION What role does religion play in facilitating or hindering the process of modernization and development in contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa societies? The primary concern in this paper is examining the relationship between religion, precisely Pentecostalism, and the process of modernization aimed at creating modern industrial societies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper fundamentally assumes that both Pentecostalism and the struggle for economic development and cultural change are existential realities and goals of Sub-Saharan African countries that cannot be ignored. One hopes that Pentecostalism will contribute positively to the process of modernization and development while still retaining its integrity as a faith and spiritual tradition among its adherents. After a brief discussion of the broader theoretical context of the paper, a section of the paper examines the positive impact of Pentecostalism on Africa's quest for economic development and cultural change. Next, the negative impact of Pentecostal Christianity on Africa's development imbroglio is explored. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on the contradictory role of Pentecostal Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa with regard to the process of economic development and cultural change.