Pentecostalism and the CIA: Coincidence or Conspiracy?

Pentecostalism and the CIA: Coincidence or Conspiracy?

In this episode of the UnShaw Podcast, we step outside the usual focus on North America and Europe to explore the complex world of religion in Africa. Joined by Dr. …Diana Jeater, Professor of African History at the University of Liverpool, we look at indigenous belief systems and ancestor traditions, through the early arrival of Christianity and Islam, to the explosive growth of Pentecostalism in recent decades.

Along the way, we discuss how African spiritual practices shaped – and were reshaped by – colonialism, why Pentecostal megachurches have spread so rapidly, and even touch on the provocative idea that the CIA may have had a hand in it. It’s a conversation that uncovers just how much Africa has to teach us about the entanglement of religion, culture, and politics.Show More