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Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613785740541952 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Odede, Calisto Kasuku |
| author2 | Mbaya, Henry |
| author_browse | Mbaya, Henry Odede, Calisto Kasuku |
| author_facet | Mbaya, Henry Odede, Calisto Kasuku |
| author_sort | Odede, Calisto Kasuku |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134754 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:40.401Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134754 Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion Odede, Calisto Kasuku Mbaya, Henry Grams, Rollin Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. Missions -- Theory -- Africa Spiritual warfare -- Christianity -- Africa Prayer -- Christianity -- History of doctrines -- 20th century Pentecostalism -- Africa Culture and Christianity -- Africa UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Odede, C. K. 2025. Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/23ba3d0d-1641-4f96-8f8d-18ee86df949d ENGLISH SUMMARY: This research is examining whether there is a connection between the powers and principalities and the demonic as taught by some western missiologists about strategic level spiritual warfare (SLSW) on the one hand and mystical powers as found in African Religion (AR). The study is engaging with the dialogue between the two parameters and examining whether there is continuity or discontinuity, embrace or hostility. Further to that, the study examines whether practising SLSW and its associated spiritual mapping can bring about community transformation and enhance evangelism. The study is also investigating why sections of the Pentecostal Christians in Africa, particularly neo-Pentecostals, seem to identify so easily with these teachings. The key western missiologists who are proponents of this are C. Peter Wagner, Charles Kraft, George Otis Jr. and Cindy Jacobs among many others. Their teachings are compared with what is prevalent among adherents of AR as indicated by Yusuf Turaki, John S. Mbiti, Philip Steyne, Kwame Bediako and Byang Kato among many others. The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization played a midwifery role from one of the tracks that was running at Manila Congress in 1989. This culminated in post-congress seminars, conferences, prayer rallies and literature which were propagating a new model of prayer that was more effective in bringing about evangelism and community transformation. Some of the sources used were cultural and traditional, while others were anecdotal, including fictional. But of great influence in the worldview of the proponents were their experiences as missionaries in other cultures, thus reflecting a missionary counter-influence impact. Some of these cultures were African or Latin American. The study examines the African perspectives on mystical powers and compares how this relates to the understanding of powers and principalities as seen in strategic level spiritual warfare. In analysing the nature of this dialogue and whether it enhances continuity or discontinuity, the study engages with the views of existentialists, structuralists, emergentists, accommodationists, realists and Biblicists. The study adopts a dialogical framework that examines encounterology, dialogical processes as presented by Lochhead, and different contextual models. It engages with the critical contextualisation of Paul Hiebert as a valid criterion for evaluating the level of hybridity or dualism. The study adopts qualitative research method and combines desktop methodology and historical case study as an illustration of one of the success narratives often quoted by proponents of SLSW. The study notes that during revival times, such outcomes have often been observed purely out of prayers rather than strategic level spiritual warfare. Finally, the study looks at the missiological implications of these teachings and gleans both what can be learned by the wider church and what should be avoided. The study notes that critical contextualisation would lead to inculturation, while uncritical contextualisation would lead to negative syncretism which would derail the church. The study notes that openness to the supernatural is a window that the church can use to propagate the Gospel to those who are open to mystical powers. From their teachings and writings, the proponents of strategic level spiritual warfare oppose any engagement with mystical powers within African Religions, thus they exercise discontinuity. From their practice, they conduct perambulatory prayers to deal with spirit beings enshrined in some of the communities and cities as taught in pre-existing religions. In this they are exercising continuity both in belief and in practice. In essence, the proponents of SLSW seem to hold both continuity and discontinuity in tension, thus affirming that there is an osmotic relationship between the two entities. While some missionaries may have had missionary tours of duty in cultures which were different from their own, the study shows that there is cultural counterinfluence on missionaries which affects their worldviews such that they adopt some of the views of their host communities. These findings are useful to the Christian community in its missionary preparation and work, such that they should propagate a Christianity that addresses the power needs in the African context. This may be the reason why Pentecostalism is spreading so rapidly in the continent of Africa. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Doctoral 2026-01-07T06:14:29Z 2026-01-07T06:14:29Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134754 en Stellenbosch University xiii, 357 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Missions -- Theory -- Africa Spiritual warfare -- Christianity -- Africa Prayer -- Christianity -- History of doctrines -- 20th century Pentecostalism -- Africa Culture and Christianity -- Africa UCTD Odede, Calisto Kasuku Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion |
| title | Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion |
| title_full | Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion |
| title_fullStr | Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion |
| title_short | Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion |
| title_sort | power disputes a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in african religion |
| topic | Missions -- Theory -- Africa Spiritual warfare -- Christianity -- Africa Prayer -- Christianity -- History of doctrines -- 20th century Pentecostalism -- Africa Culture and Christianity -- Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134754 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT odedecalistokasuku powerdisputesamissiologicaldialoguebetweenstrategiclevelspiritualwarfareandmysticalpowersinafricanreligion |