Religion and Social Transformation

Religions of the world view disability differently. Judaism, Islam and other Semitic religions regard it as a curse from God due to sins of either the parents or the individual. African Traditional Religion regards disability as a curse from the ancestors or the whole blame is cast on the mother of the disabled. In Hinduism, disability is believed to be linked to " karma " , sins that have been committed in past lives. It is a punishment for misdeeds in the past lives of the People with Disability, or the wrongdoings of their parents. Buddhists believe that disability is a result of having done something negative in a former life. Most religions of the world construe disability as a result of sin. Christianity today has mixed feelings towards disability. Some denominations consider it to be a result of sin while others take it as a biological issue and has nothing to do with sin. Christianity is diverse hence it has diverse views on disability. It is against this background that this paper would like to reflect on the role of Pentecostal churches in curbing the marginalisation of people with disability. The paper would assess the initiatives of Pentecostal churches in addressing the issues of disability. Documentary analysis supported by interviews and personal observations shall be used to gather data for this paper.

Disability studies have recently created space within the inter-disciplinary divide. Many actors like religions, government and non-government organizations are working towards shaping, defining, issues surrounding disability. Results showed that Persons with Disability (PWD) are stigmatized, excluded and dehumanized in the society. However, there is a gap to move beyond identifying the challenges affecting PWD into societal inclusion. Accordingly, this entails creating space for PWD as part of good citizenry. Therefore, this article deconstructs the Shona indigenous culture towards the inclusion of PWD. In conclusion, this article recommends that a critical utilization of the Shona cultural perspective of humanness enhances social inclusion.

The rise of the mega- Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe has brought an overarching
coalition of religious artifacts in its quest to engage with the private and public lives of
many Zimbabweans. Adaptation to the unstable political and economic decline in
Zimbabwe has led to some proliferation of complex, interwoven practices between
Pentecostalism and African Traditional Religion. Intrinsic violence, manipulation,
extortions, cunning miracles, misrepresentation of the Bible and an elusive rhetoric of
prosperity are used to gain obedience of the suffering populace. Somewhat, an alliance of
religious artifacts, expressions, identity, and meaning forms a new hybrid of African
Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe. This article explores the social, economic, psychological
and political meaning of these religious artifacts coalition. The article uses United Family
International (UFI) as a case study. This study collected data through interviews and
sermons analysis.
KEY WORDS: ATR, Pentecostalism, Coalition, Artifacts