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604
Book Reviews
Naomi Haynes, Moving By the Spirit: Pentecostal Social Life on the Copperbelt (Oak-
land,CA: University of California Press, 2017). 224 pp. $34.95 paperback.
Moving By the Spirit: Pentecostal Social Life on the Copperbelt written by Naomi Haynes is an ethnographic study of Pentecostal Christians in a small town called Nsofu, on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Haynes provides insight into how being Pentecostal accords one the ability to progress in various dimensions of life which she calls “moving by the spirit.” She presents narra- tives of the lives of Pentecostal Christians in Nsofu and how they negotiate day-to-day living and individual aspirations amidst their socio-economic chal- lenges. Haynes provides an alternative view to academics that have viewed Pentecostalism as a socially disruptive phenomenon due to some of its the- ologies that emphasise individualism and consumerism which are products of neoliberalism.
Haynes attempts to prove that the worldwide success of Pentecostalism lies in its ability to resonate with local cultures by shaping and reshaping certain cultural norms that it might perceive as retrogressive and a hindrance to peo- ple’s freedom of movement by the spirit. Her chapters provide descriptions of life in Nsofu township with its economic diversity and social productivity. She explores Pentecostal relations in the form of lateral networks of collective prayer (as providing ritual energy that drives connections among members), flat structures that make egalitarian practices possible and authority figures can be easily challenged, and the tensions and relationships between pros- perity and charisma. She sees the metaphor of moving by the spirit in “two sub values: Charisma and prosperity as people become symbols of prosperity with heavy bodies, clothes, etc., and charisma by praying, taking up positions in church and displaying God’s power by praying for someone to be healed” (72).
Haynes defines neoliberalism as “changes in the relationship between the state and the market, a reduction in the government’s role in the economy, and rolling back of the welfare state, privatisation of industry and with it, a new emphasis on personal responsibility” (3). Her definition provides a mirror image of what post-colonial Zambia looks like to date. Her research creatively examines the impact neoliberalism has had on Pentecostal Christians in Nsofu Township and discovers that as opposed to wallowing in its negative impacts like crime, corruption HIV/AIDS etc., Pentecostalism is at the heart of social creativity helping people progress in life despite these circumstances (2). She attributes the prosperity gospel (God’s desire for all to be healthy and wealthy) as liable for the active pursuit of economic progress which is a subsidiary to spiritual development (prosperity vs charisma). In a country like Zambia where the welfare state is absent, and levels of poverty and unemployment are high,
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people have learnt to become self-sufficient and innovative to make ends meet. In the case of Nsofu township, adherence to a Pentecostal church accords peo- ple the opportunity to be optimistic and “pitch their lives forward towards what they take to be a better world,” e.g. educational advancement and economic betterment/achievement (7). Central to this is one’s connection to the right congregation and pastor.
Haynes skilfully interrogates how Pentecostalism helps its members make life possible in the receding tide of the economy in Zambia. In so doing she revisits some of the negative descriptions of Pentecostalism like “breaking with the past/kin, ideas of self-realization and consumption and using God as lever- age against anyone causing them harm” (5) and interprets these actions as a way of people taking charge of their lives and of those around them to continue to progress in life. Haynes observes that Pentecostalism has a creative power and is far from social breakdown as it is more about relational life for example, “social relationships, patronage ties and lateral networks that allow for pooling of resources e.g. saving associations” (12). She also brings to the fore the idea that Pentecostals in Nsofu attribute the absence of breakthrough and moving by the spirit in one’s life to a failure of generating social ties. In their quest to survive the harsh realities of life in developing countries (which would other- wise cause people to be self-seeking and navel gazing), Haynes demonstrates the way in which Pentecostals in Nsofu create sustainable social relationships, contrary to metaphors of individualism and consumerism which Pentecostal- ism has been suspected of perpetrating.
Haynes acknowledges that Pentecostal rituals of moving by the spirit are not without their challenges as while Sundays and other prayer meetings are places of what she calls “sites of social reproduction” they also contain “seeds of social breakdown” when these relationships do not work out (73,159). Secondly, she is not oblivious of the shortcomings of what she deems “structure and physical violence marked by the liberal period in Africa and elsewhere” however, she challenges some of the metaphors of complete gloom and helplessness that literature on the subject projects. Haynes concludes that despite all the socio- economic challenges in Zambia, Pentecostals in Nsofu were more resilient and relational life continued to thrive. This could be due in part to the commu- nal way of living among Zambian communities especially in villages and less urbanised areas like Nsofu Township.
Overall, Haynes contribution is very evident in that her work offers a nuanced way of looking at the impact of neoliberalism in less urbanised town- ships in sub-Saharan Africa. She successfully places this discussion within an anthropological and Pentecostal context despite the latter having a history that privileged piety and sacredness as opposed to self-indulgent worldly pursuits
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and individualism. Some of the characteristics of Pentecostals that she men- tions as helping them move by the spirit are not completely new phenomena unique to Nsofu, however, her work seeks to confirm and reaffirm the Zam- bian way of communal living which fosters interdependence and relationship building. As a native born and raised in Zambia, I know that this innovative way of living as presented by Haynes has always been part and parcel of the wayinwhichZambianwomenhavealwaysworkedtosupplementtheirincome and support their families and friends. Credit associations and committees that fund events have always been a part of the Zambian communal way of life in. Throughout the chapters, Haynes describes the various ways in which Pen- tecostals in Nsofu form relationships and tactfully invites the reader to walk through the lives of Pentecostals in this Township. Her brilliant use of narra- tives and experiences of indigenous Zambians is commendable as she allows the people within her research context to tell their own story.
Naar M’fundisi-Holloway
Independent Scholar, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom [email protected]
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