The Revelation Spiritual Home: The Revival of African Indigenous Spirituality (Elements in New Religious Movements)

By: Massimo Introvigne and Rosita Šorytė

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Synopsis: Africa hosts thousands of new religious organizations, yet those that have attracted academic attention are mainly derived from Christianity. Less studied is the phenomenon of African Indigenous Spirituality (AIS), including new groups whose program is restoring forms of pre-Christian and pre-Islamic spirituality. After a general introduction to AIS and some historical and contemporary examples, this Element presents an ethnography of what may well be the largest pan-African AIS group, The Revelation Spiritual Home (TRSH). Founded in Johannesburg by Samuel Radebe in 2009, it now has more than seventy branches in southern Africa. Based on fieldwork in TRSH centers and interviews with both Radebe and other leaders and members, as well as with participants in other AIS activities and groups, this Element examines the history, ideas, rituals, and business and educational activities of TRSH, and discusses the reasons for both its success and the opposition it has encountered.