@inbook {495331,
	title = {Individualism and Empowerment in Pentecostal Sermons: New Evidence from Nairobi, Kenya},
	booktitle = {African Affairs},
	year = {Forthcoming},
	publisher = {Oxford University Press},
	organization = {Oxford University Press},
	abstract = {Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are rapidly growing in many parts of Sub-Saharan\&nbsp;Africa and the developing world. In this paper we present new evidence on the theologies\&nbsp;and activities of these popular churches, having gathered sermon texts and interview data\&nbsp;from a random sample of them in Nairobi, Kenya. We find that Pentecostal churches in\&nbsp;Nairobi are remarkably consistent in the messages they disseminate, despite greatvariation in church and membership characteristics across congregations. We argue that\&nbsp;the dominant theme in the sermons is a focus on cultivating believers{\textquoteright} sense of their own\&nbsp;potential and autonomy as individuals. Other topics commonly associated with\&nbsp;Pentecostal churches, such as getting rich quickly and social conservatism, are not as\&nbsp;central. The focus on individual autonomy also stands in stark contrast to more\&nbsp;collectivist agendas of social change. Indeed, the individualist theme is accompanied by a\&nbsp;relative lack of social service provision, reflecting an approach to economic development\&nbsp;that focuses on individual mental transformation rather than material handouts or\&nbsp;systemic reform.},
	author = {Gwyneth H. McClendon}
}
