Church, Bureaucracy, and State. Bureaucratic Formalization in a Pentecostal Church of Zambia

The article examines the role of formal organization in a prophet-healing church in the rural areas of southern Zambia. It is argued that the leadership of this church strives to attain a certain organizational compatibility with Zambian state agencies by adopting bureaucratic features. Such "m...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:	Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 2003-01, Vol.128 (2), p.213-231
1. Verfasser:	Kirsch, Thomas G.
Format:	Artikel
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	Africa African Christianity Bureaucracy Charisma Christianity Church congregations Church State Relationship Churches Ethnology Faith Healing Formalization Generalities Pentecostalism Police Power Prophecy Religion, magic, witchcraft Religions, beliefs, worships Religious buildings Religious practices State State agencies Zambia
Online-Zugang:	Volltext
Tags:	Tag hinzufügen Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!

container_end_page	231
container_issue	2
container_start_page	213
container_title	Zeitschrift für Ethnologie
container_volume	128
creator	Kirsch, Thomas G.
description	The article examines the role of formal organization in a prophet-healing church in the rural areas of southern Zambia. It is argued that the leadership of this church strives to attain a certain organizational compatibility with Zambian state agencies by adopting bureaucratic features. Such "mimetic isomorphism" represents a self-protective measure of the church against the threat of being outlawed by the state. When being incorporated, however, the bureaucratic features become accommodated to local conceptions of religious power. Since positions of authority in the respective church depend on ascriptions of spiritual capability such as prophesying or healing, this accommodation creates a configuration where bureaucratic procedures are conflated with discourses and practices of a charismatic type. What emerges is a "charismatic bureaucracy" that is oriented towards the state and simultaneously represents a withdrawal from its ambit.
format	Article
fullrecord	<record><control><sourceid>jstor_proqu</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_60484496</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><jstor_id>25842916</jstor_id><sourcerecordid>25842916</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-j1146-9e3b66ef8395fa34bda7743b69e87fd8e0fa914b16b83311e5274d26ae74198a3</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNqFzstKw0AUBuAsFKzVRxBmo6tG5pa5LLVYFQoK6kaEcDKZoVNyqTOTRX16Iym6dHU4__n4OUfZDGPOcyqEOMlOY9xiLDAhfJZ9LDdDMJsFuh2ChcEEMPsFgq5GLwmSvf7Lkzdo1YcWGv81Ln2HfIcAPdsuWdPHBA2aulDv0Du0lYez7NhBE-35Yc6zt9Xd6_IhXz_dPy5v1vl2_EHk2rJKCOsU04UDxqsapORjpq2SrlYWO9CEV0RUijFCbEElr6kAKznRCtg8u5p6d6H_HGxMZeujsU0Dne2HWArMFeda_AuZVJRqjEd4eYAQDTQuQGd8LHfBtxD2JSmYFJr-uIvJbWPqw--dFopTTQT7Bs3Vcqg</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Aggregation Database</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>37822900</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Church, Bureaucracy, and State. Bureaucratic Formalization in a Pentecostal Church of Zambia</title><source>Jstor Complete Legacy</source><source>Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek - Frei zugängliche E-Journals</source><source>Sociological Abstracts</source><creator>Kirsch, Thomas G.</creator><creatorcontrib>Kirsch, Thomas G.</creatorcontrib><description>The article examines the role of formal organization in a prophet-healing church in the rural areas of southern Zambia. It is argued that the leadership of this church strives to attain a certain organizational compatibility with Zambian state agencies by adopting bureaucratic features. Such "mimetic isomorphism" represents a self-protective measure of the church against the threat of being outlawed by the state. When being incorporated, however, the bureaucratic features become accommodated to local conceptions of religious power. Since positions of authority in the respective church depend on ascriptions of spiritual capability such as prophesying or healing, this accommodation creates a configuration where bureaucratic procedures are conflated with discourses and practices of a charismatic type. What emerges is a "charismatic bureaucracy" that is oriented towards the state and simultaneously represents a withdrawal from its ambit.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0044-2666</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag</publisher><subject>Africa ; African Christianity ; Bureaucracy ; Charisma ; Christianity ; Church congregations ; Church State Relationship ; Churches ; Ethnology ; Faith Healing ; Formalization ; Generalities ; Pentecostalism ; Police ; Power ; Prophecy ; Religion, magic, witchcraft ; Religions, beliefs, worships ; Religious buildings ; Religious practices ; State ; State agencies ; Zambia</subject><ispartof>Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 2003-01, Vol.128 (2), p.213-231</ispartof><rights>2003 Dietrich Reimer Verlag</rights><rights>2004 INIST-CNRS</rights><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktopdf>$$Uhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/25842916$$EPDF$$P50$$Gjstor$$H</linktopdf><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/25842916$$EHTML$$P50$$Gjstor$$H</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>314,776,780,799,4010,33752,57992,58225</link.rule.ids><backlink>$$Uhttp://pascal-francis.inist.fr/vibad/index.php?action=getRecordDetail&idt=15376920$$DView record in Pascal Francis$$Hfree_for_read</backlink></links><search><creatorcontrib>Kirsch, Thomas G.</creatorcontrib><title>Church, Bureaucracy, and State. Bureaucratic Formalization in a Pentecostal Church of Zambia</title><title>Zeitschrift für Ethnologie</title><description>The article examines the role of formal organization in a prophet-healing church in the rural areas of southern Zambia. It is argued that the leadership of this church strives to attain a certain organizational compatibility with Zambian state agencies by adopting bureaucratic features. Such "mimetic isomorphism" represents a self-protective measure of the church against the threat of being outlawed by the state. When being incorporated, however, the bureaucratic features become accommodated to local conceptions of religious power. Since positions of authority in the respective church depend on ascriptions of spiritual capability such as prophesying or healing, this accommodation creates a configuration where bureaucratic procedures are conflated with discourses and practices of a charismatic type. What emerges is a "charismatic bureaucracy" that is oriented towards the state and simultaneously represents a withdrawal from its ambit.</description><subject>Africa</subject><subject>African Christianity</subject><subject>Bureaucracy</subject><subject>Charisma</subject><subject>Christianity</subject><subject>Church congregations</subject><subject>Church State Relationship</subject><subject>Churches</subject><subject>Ethnology</subject><subject>Faith Healing</subject><subject>Formalization</subject><subject>Generalities</subject><subject>Pentecostalism</subject><subject>Police</subject><subject>Power</subject><subject>Prophecy</subject><subject>Religion, magic, witchcraft</subject><subject>Religions, beliefs, worships</subject><subject>Religious buildings</subject><subject>Religious practices</subject><subject>State</subject><subject>State agencies</subject><subject>Zambia</subject><issn>0044-2666</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2003</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>BHHNA</sourceid><recordid>eNqFzstKw0AUBuAsFKzVRxBmo6tG5pa5LLVYFQoK6kaEcDKZoVNyqTOTRX16Iym6dHU4__n4OUfZDGPOcyqEOMlOY9xiLDAhfJZ9LDdDMJsFuh2ChcEEMPsFgq5GLwmSvf7Lkzdo1YcWGv81Ln2HfIcAPdsuWdPHBA2aulDv0Du0lYez7NhBE-35Yc6zt9Xd6_IhXz_dPy5v1vl2_EHk2rJKCOsU04UDxqsapORjpq2SrlYWO9CEV0RUijFCbEElr6kAKznRCtg8u5p6d6H_HGxMZeujsU0Dne2HWArMFeda_AuZVJRqjEd4eYAQDTQuQGd8LHfBtxD2JSmYFJr-uIvJbWPqw--dFopTTQT7Bs3Vcqg</recordid><startdate>20030101</startdate><enddate>20030101</enddate><creator>Kirsch, Thomas G.</creator><general>Dietrich Reimer Verlag</general><general>Reimer</general><scope>IQODW</scope><scope>8BJ</scope><scope>FQK</scope><scope>JBE</scope><scope>7U4</scope><scope>BHHNA</scope><scope>DWI</scope><scope>WZK</scope></search><sort><creationdate>20030101</creationdate><title>Church, Bureaucracy, and State. Bureaucratic Formalization in a Pentecostal Church of Zambia</title><author>Kirsch, Thomas G.</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-j1146-9e3b66ef8395fa34bda7743b69e87fd8e0fa914b16b83311e5274d26ae74198a3</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2003</creationdate><topic>Africa</topic><topic>African Christianity</topic><topic>Bureaucracy</topic><topic>Charisma</topic><topic>Christianity</topic><topic>Church congregations</topic><topic>Church State Relationship</topic><topic>Churches</topic><topic>Ethnology</topic><topic>Faith Healing</topic><topic>Formalization</topic><topic>Generalities</topic><topic>Pentecostalism</topic><topic>Police</topic><topic>Power</topic><topic>Prophecy</topic><topic>Religion, magic, witchcraft</topic><topic>Religions, beliefs, worships</topic><topic>Religious buildings</topic><topic>Religious practices</topic><topic>State</topic><topic>State agencies</topic><topic>Zambia</topic><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Kirsch, Thomas G.</creatorcontrib><collection>Pascal-Francis</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences</collection><collection>Sociological Abstracts (pre-2017)</collection><collection>Sociological Abstracts</collection><collection>Sociological Abstracts</collection><collection>Sociological Abstracts (Ovid)</collection><jtitle>Zeitschrift für Ethnologie</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Kirsch, Thomas G.</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Church, Bureaucracy, and State. Bureaucratic Formalization in a Pentecostal Church of Zambia</atitle><jtitle>Zeitschrift für Ethnologie</jtitle><date>2003-01-01</date><risdate>2003</risdate><volume>128</volume><issue>2</issue><spage>213</spage><epage>231</epage><pages>213-231</pages><issn>0044-2666</issn><abstract>The article examines the role of formal organization in a prophet-healing church in the rural areas of southern Zambia. It is argued that the leadership of this church strives to attain a certain organizational compatibility with Zambian state agencies by adopting bureaucratic features. Such "mimetic isomorphism" represents a self-protective measure of the church against the threat of being outlawed by the state. When being incorporated, however, the bureaucratic features become accommodated to local conceptions of religious power. Since positions of authority in the respective church depend on ascriptions of spiritual capability such as prophesying or healing, this accommodation creates a configuration where bureaucratic procedures are conflated with discourses and practices of a charismatic type. What emerges is a "charismatic bureaucracy" that is oriented towards the state and simultaneously represents a withdrawal from its ambit.</abstract><cop>Berlin</cop><pub>Dietrich Reimer Verlag</pub><tpages>19</tpages></addata></record>
fulltext	fulltext
identifier	ISSN: 0044-2666
ispartof	Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 2003-01, Vol.128 (2), p.213-231
issn	0044-2666
language	eng
recordid	cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_60484496
source	Jstor Complete Legacy; Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek - Frei zugängliche E-Journals; Sociological Abstracts
subjects	Africa African Christianity Bureaucracy Charisma Christianity Church congregations Church State Relationship Churches Ethnology Faith Healing Formalization Generalities Pentecostalism Police Power Prophecy Religion, magic, witchcraft Religions, beliefs, worships Religious buildings Religious practices State State agencies Zambia
title	Church, Bureaucracy, and State. Bureaucratic Formalization in a Pentecostal Church of Zambia
url	https://sfx.bib-bvb.de/sfx_tum?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2025-02-10T18%3A14%3A09IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-jstor_proqu&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Church,%20Bureaucracy,%20and%20State.%20Bureaucratic%20Formalization%20in%20a%20Pentecostal%20Church%20of%20Zambia&rft.jtitle=Zeitschrift%20f%C3%BCr%20Ethnologie&rft.au=Kirsch,%20Thomas%20G.&rft.date=2003-01-01&rft.volume=128&rft.issue=2&rft.spage=213&rft.epage=231&rft.pages=213-231&rft.issn=0044-2666&rft_id=info:doi/&rft_dat=%3Cjstor_proqu%3E25842916%3C/jstor_proqu%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&disable_directlink=true&sfx.directlink=off&sfx.report_link=0&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=37822900&rft_id=info:pmid/&rft_jstor_id=25842916&rfr_iscdi=true