Religious testimonial narratives and social construction of identity: Insights from prophetic ministries in Botswana

Abstract

Giving a testimony forms a central part of the religious practices among Pentecostal churches including prophetic ministries. Testimony links the understanding of one’s religious experience and the configuration of the divine intervention. Utilizing data collected through ethnographic observation among prophetic ministries in Botswana and digital ethnography of the testimonial narratives circulated online through various new media outlets of these ministries, this paper examines the ways in which religious identity is constructed and understood through the testimonial performance in various religious services. Informed by the premise that narrative is closely related to identity, the paper pays particular attention to the extent to which religious testimonies influence the dynamic relationship between individual, communal and institutional religious identity. The following questions are central to the analysis: In what ways does a religious testimony inform us about the construction and negotiation of religious identity? To what extent does a religious testimony influence the dynamic relationship between individual, communal and institutional religious identity? While suggesting that religious identity constructions and negotiations are embedded within the sharing of religious testimonies, I also argue that the sharing of a religious testimony has an agentive function of extending the social relationship between an individual believer, other believers and the religious community within which the testimony is shared.

Keywords:

• testimony
• religious testimony
• identity
• construction of identity
• prophetic ministries
• Botswana
• Facebook
• YouTube
• new media

Public Interest Statement

Giving a testimony forms a central part of the religious practices with the circle of Pentecostal Christianity including prophetic Christianity. Through giving a testimony, a believer is expected to tell a personal story of encounter with God and how such an encounter has become a life-changing event and experience. Using insights from the practice of “testimony time” among prophetic ministries in Botswana, this article focuses on examining the ways in which religious identity is constructed and understood through the testimonial performance in various religious services. The article advances two related arguments. Firstly, religious identity constructions and negotiations are embedded within the sharing of religious testimonies. Secondly, the sharing of a religious testimony extends social and religious relationship between an individual believer, other believers and the religious community within which the testimony is shared.

Notes

1. Kopong Village is 27 km away from Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, while Tsolamosese, Ramotswa and Maun are 15, 40 and 850 km away from the capital city respectively.

2. This research project was funded by the University of Botswana through its Office of Research and Development (ORD). Field research was conducted from September 2014 to April 2015.

3. The study is funded by the Nagel Institute with generous support of funding from the John Templeton Foundation in the United States of America. The overall aim of the project is to explore and examine the multifaceted characteristics of prophetic ministries in Botswana and how new media shapes religious discourses and the religious landscape in Botswana. Data was collected through a multi-site field research conducted from April to December 2016.

4. Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, located about 400 km from Gaborone the capital city of Botswana. Maun is popularly known as a tourist destination in Botswana, located about 850 km from the capital city, Gaborone.

5. See Kosinski, Matz, Gosling, Popov, and Stillwell (2015) for explanation concerning boundaries of individual consent when a new media outlet is used as a research field.

6. Religious testimonies circulated in various new media outlets normally include the real names of the testifiers. In order to protect the testifiers, however, names are abbreviated throughout the analysis.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gabriel Faimau

Gabriel Faimau, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Botswana. His main research interests include new media and religious practice, politics of multiculturalism, social implications of HIV/AIDS and graduate employability. His current research focuses on new media and religious practices among prophetic ministries in Botswana. He was the principal investigator of a study on “New Media and Cultural Application on Religion”, funded by the Nagel Institute with a generous support of funds from the John Templeton Foundation, USA.