The explosive growth of Pentecostalism represents on of the most important religious development today. Close to 25 per cent of the world's Christians are believed to be Pentecostals. What are the social and political consequences of this change?

The Religion Research Group at PRIO invites you to a seminar exploring the role of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.

A light lunch will be served. Please register.

Dr Afe Adogame, Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, will present a lecture addressing this topic. He will explore three interrelated questions: First, an exploration of the growth, expansion and mobility of Pentecostalism in Nigeria. Then he will demonstrate how Pentecostal/Charismatic churches are combining the quest for personal salvation with civic engagement, political mobilisation and socio-economic empowerment. Thirdly, he will show how Pentecostal/charismatic churches in Nigeria serve as sources of social and spiritual capital engineering; analyzing Pentecostal churches contribution, or the lack of it, to civic life and members civic and social incorporation into the larger Nigerian society.

Dr Afe Adogame holds a PhD in History of Religion from the University of Bayreuth, Germany. He has been a senior research fellow at the Department for the Study of Religion and Institute of African studies at the same university. He has also lectured at the Lagos State University, Nigeria. His research interest includes interrogating new dynamics of religious experiences and expressions in Africa and the African diaspora, as well as the interconnectedness between religion and migration, globalisation, politics, economy, media and civil society.

Gina Lende, coordinator of the Religion Research group at PRIO, will give a response.