Pentecostal Power in South Africa (full text speech)

Dr. Lawrence Schlemmer
  
Full Text
 
Dr. Schlemmer presented his research to the “Media & Religion” conference in Johannesburg, 11-12 November, 2008.
  

Thank you very much, Reverend. I appreciate very much this opportunity to talk about this research.
 
Just before I start, perhaps by way of introduction, and to touch on
one of the themes posed in the questions posed at the end of the last
session where people were talking about this disjuncture, this split,
between the secular world of politics and the world of faith
communities.
 
Now, in these surveys, in both the surveys because one was done in
Cape Town and one was done in Gauteng, I started off with a question,
very broad and open question, which was in a sense a trick question.
But I wanted to see how Christians would respond. And that was a
question on what do you feel is necessary to achieve a better life for
all for yourself?
 
Now as you know, the largest political party in the country - we
assume it's still the largest - with all good intentions had this
as its slogan: A Better Life for All. And since then, this slogan has
acquired a significance and an impact far beyond the realm of party.
And now people tend to associate politics with a better life for all,
and even supporters of other parties will use these words in
interviews: a better life for all.
 
But they then associate it with political programs. So here we were
interviewing a representative sample of Christians in Cape Town and in
Gauteng and we posed this question. And 95% of them immediately slotted
into the political mindset. And they'd say, "Oh, a better life for
all. Right. We want this. We want roads. This and that, taxes." And
so you got the entire political agenda being played back. It was all
very interesting.
 
But I wanted to see whether people who are devout and with strong
faith would say, "Hold on. The politicians might say that a better
life for all is better delivery, etc. But actually I've got a
different view about a 'better life' for myself and for all," and
to introduce the religious agenda. But nobody did.
 
Because everybody assumed that politics has its place, and tha's
secular. And you don't think about your own spiritual values or
anything like that. You don't think of the need to express your
spirituality in the life you're leading. No, you immediately think in
the categories that have been given to you by the politicians - all
the politicians, doesn't matter which party.