Yoruba Pentecostalism and Child Witchcraft Accusations

Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-1-64825-123-8
Verlag: University of Rochester Press

Buch, Englisch, Band 102, 372 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 692 g

Reihe: Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora

An exploration of Yoruba Pentecostalism's role in child witchcraft accusations, examining migration, leadership, and collective responsibility to address faith-based child abuse globally.

What drives communities to accuse children of witchcraft, and how do religious beliefs and leadership dynamics perpetuate this phenomenon across borders? Claire Ayelotan delves into the involvement of Yoruba (Nigerian) Pentecostal leaders in accusations of child witchcraft in Nigeria and the UK. Using a multidisciplinary approach, her research examines the theological, cultural, socioeconomic, and legal influences that drive such behaviours. Ethnographic studies and interviews with pastors and practitioners reveal how power dynamics, gender roles, and international migration intersect to perpetuate these harmful beliefs. The book uncovers gaps in current literature and presents original insights on the collective responsibility, shared beliefs, and complexities of Pentecostal leadership in this context. By focusing on the global aspects of child witchcraft accusations, it sheds new light on how migration impacts these practices and the negative consequences they have on vulnerable children.

An important read for academics, policymakers, and child welfare professionals, this book challenges assumptions and urges immediate action to combat faith-based child abuse in all its manifestations.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ayelotan, Claire P.

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Kindesmissbrauch, Sexueller Missbrauch, Häusliche Gewalt
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Christliche Kirchen, Konfessionen, Denominationen Protestantismus, evangelische und protestantische Kirchen Pfingstkirchen
• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychologie / Allgemeines & Theorie Psychologie: Sachbuch, Ratgeber
• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Volkskunde Historische & Regionale Volkskunde

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Glossary of Yorubaland Terms

1. Child Witchcraft Accusation: Defining the Problem
2. Understanding Child Witchcraft Accusations: Collective Faith-Based Child Cruelty
3. Witchcraft in Yoruba Cosmology
4. Pentecostalism, Islam, and Witchcraft in Yorubaland (Nigeria)
5. Witchcraft Worldview and Pentecostal Leadership Dynamics
6. Perceptions of Child Witchcraft and Deliverance among Pentecostal Pastors in Nigeria and the Diaspora
7. Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendations

Bibliography
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Ayelotan, Claire P.
CLAIRE P. AYELOTAN is a religious studies scholar specializing in African Christianity and the intersections of religion, law, and gender.