Bodies as Bridges: Metaphors and Charismatic Preaching in Ghana

Abstract

Preaching is a very popular activity in Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, as it is one of the main means by which the Bible is interpreted publicly. In Ghana, most Charismatic preachers have a celebrity status, and are able to gather thousands to their services because of their sermons. The act of preaching in this strand of Christianity is an intense activity that places enormous physical demand on both the preacher and the audience. This paper seeks to examine metaphors that arise out of bodily expressions pervasive in the process of sermon delivery and reception. It is based on a year’s ethnographic fieldwork involving three pastors and their churches as well as a collection of their sermons. An examination of these metaphors reveals that Charismatic preaching is inundated with intriguing bodily movements that are metaphorical and informed by the preacher’s interpretation of Scripture as well as being culture specific.