SOCI 377 Guest Lecture on Religious Identities Online

New Media as ‘Alternative’ Spaces for Performing Religious Identities Online: Stories from an African Perspective SOCI 377 GUEST LECTURE MARCH 7, 2024 Dr. Motilola Akinfemisoye-Adejare Assistant Professor (Teaching), African Studies Program, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, Faculty of Art...

New Media as ‘Alternative’ Spaces for Performing Religious Identities Online: Stories from an African Perspective SOCI 377 GUEST LECTURE MARCH 7, 2024 Dr. Motilola Akinfemisoye-Adejare Assistant Professor (Teaching), African Studies Program, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts Introduction Africans are deeply religious people, and while major world religions arrived on the continent at various points, religious syncretism has been an important aspect of this appropriation. In many African countries, religion occupies a key position in the personal and public lives of many. This religiosity is expressed in many ways. 2 3 While it is no news that new media technologies continue to permeate various aspects of life on the continent, it is useful to examine what the adoption and appropriation of these technologies, particularly social media platforms, by religious leaders and their followers might mean for the performance of religion online. As pastors and churches go online, there seems to be the creation of a ‘new community’, a subculture, who not only worship and satisfy religious appetite on these spaces but also appropriate the identities of religious leaders and express these as part of their online identities. 4 5 Being ‘Bushirified’ Prophet Shepherd Bushiri: (Major1) Malawian Prophet, businessman and leader of ECG My talk today takes its root in Campbell’s (2010) Religious -Social Shaping of Technology approach, to interrogate how religious communities negotiate and contest their appropriation of social media as a site of religious expressions of identity, and in this case the ‘Bushirified’ identity. Bushirified’ as an anchor through which it interrogates how online members of religious communities use these spaces as platforms for expressing dissent towards ‘unsupportive’ authorities and support for their religious leader through this renaming on social media, as well as what these might mean for the performance of religious identity online. 6 Focus As pastors and churches appropriate new media technologies, there is the creation of a ‘new community’ who not only worship online but also negotiate religious identity in interesting ways. This study focuses on Bushiri’s appropriation of Facebook and the emerging ‘Bushirified’ community on Facebook who perform religious identity online. The man, the prophet When on the 1st of February 2019, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri was arrested by South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Investigations (HAWKS), his Facebook page became an important site for the announcement to go public. BBC’s appropriation of the Facebook post in its reporting Bushiri’s Facebook appropriation Scholars writing on the religious appropriation of technology in Africa have observed that churches, and in particular, prophetic ministries, are increasingly adopting new media technologies As Faimau and Behrens (2016:68) observe, “one of the characteristics of prophetic ministries is the use of media and, in particular, new media”. This is true for Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his Enlightened Christian Gathering. His verified Facebook page, when I first conducted this research in March 2019 had over 3.7million followers. Today it has 4.6million followers This study therefore uses this Facebook page as a site of inquiry Theoretical framework This study takes its root in Campbell’s (2010) Religious-Social Shaping of Technology which focuses on studying how religious communities negotiate their uses of technology and media for their own purposes. A note on Methodology The proliferation of new digital technologies which make social media possible is permeating several facets of life on the continent to the point where it is becoming indispensable with Facebook being one of the most popular It is therefore pertinent that researchers harness this space --Facebook, as a lot of ‘social life’ now exists ‘online’ A note on Methodology Scholars generally agree that ethnography affords telling the stories and lived experiences of a group people. Digital ethnography as a method of data gathering enables the researcher to observe how users and individuals interact in a virtual space and platform (Delia, 2017; Murthy, 2008) Facebook as field and religious platform For ethnographers and anthropologists, what constitutes ‘field’ in the ‘digital era’ continues to be the subject of debates. Dalsgaard (2016:96) notes that “scholars theorising about social media have convincingly argued that online sites are by now so integrated into many people’s lives that it makes little sense to maintain a clear-cut distinction between online and offline” Blurring offline and online While scholars such as Hine, writing in 2000, suggested that the ‘virtual space’ is different from the ‘traditional’ or offline space, further studies (Baker, 2013; Dalsgaard, 2016; Delia, 2017 Murthy, 2008) have shown that this is no longer the case. The lines between ‘offline’ and ‘online’ are becoming blurred even as what happens online often mirrors the offline Note on Methodology It is in this light therefore, that this study uses a digital ethnography of Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Facebook page to interrogate how the online performance of religious identity, particularly in Africa is taking place. I also use Critical Discourse Analysis of a selection of comments by ‘Bushirified’ individuals on Facebook to show how these online spaces afford the creation and performance of religious identity online ‘Bushirified’ within the context of my talk is defined not simply as those who follow Prophet Shepherd Bushiri online and offline, but also those who add this name badge to their profiles online. The focus here is on those who use this as their profile identity on Facebook Digital ethnography: Immersion online The digital fieldwork for this study began in February 2019 following news of Prophet Bushiri’s arrest and ended when I wrote the paper later that year. This page itself is an open page and the researcher is neither a member of ECG nor a follower of the page on Facebook. Nevertheless, the researcher’s participation was to the extent that she read the post and comments, made notes and analysed these for the purpose of an academic research Mining information online: Is it private or public? (Markham, 2012; Anonymity preferred for comments. I simply refer to it as a post but quote verbatim Exception: Bushiri’s page describes him as a public figure and as such, I quote his post and include his name A number of interrelated themes emerged in the course of the digital ethnographic immersion. These include: religious authority exemplified in naming strategies, Emerging themes The use of Facebook and other online platforms as preferred ‘alternative’ challenge to (negative) mainstream media representation, reinvigorated religious authority of the prophet and his staff and the Facebook page as ‘product placement’ platform “our parents” Naming and identity in online religious spaces “This morning, around 07:00hrs…officers of the Directorate for Priority Investigations (HAWKS) have arrested our parents…” What is in a name? As Richardson (2007) notes, ‘the manner in which social actors are named identifies not only the group(s) that they are associated with; it can also signal the relationship between the namer and the named’ Over 9 thousand comments Sample comment beneath this post following his arrest: “Mara, South Africa what did the man do to you? Honestly this is not humanly right and whoever is behind this shameful acts towards God's Prophet and his work for the Lord shall not be left unpunished. But if it be for God's glory it is well. PAPA once said for the work of his Boss Jesus he is not scared of anything and is willing and ready for the Gospel.... Mom, Dad I love you and I pray for you. Jesus, your servants needs you now.”(Comment from a Top Fan on Bushiri’s post following arrest) (Emphasis mine) “ Sons and Daughters of major 1, the devil has no rest, he never get tired[sic]. We are in a Prophetic church everything happened God already see a way because He allow it to happen. This not the time to be sharken [sic] nor argue with the devil.God hear us in the heavenly language which is prayer. Let us pray to God as our father and stand as one in prayer. Every prophecy my father prophecy about his persecution he was preparing us not the world. Saint let stop the noise and pray.[sic] Our Father and Mom need our prayers. Let's interceed [sic]on their behalf. Shalom.”(Comment from a Top Fan on Bushiri’s post following arrest, Empasis mine) What is in a name? There are also those who sit on the opposing side of the debate as evidenced by this sample comment: “People must just leave god [sic]out of this. Your Papa is a scam. HAWKS isusue [sic] a statement saying they have a strong case of fraud and money laundering” (comments from Bushiri’s post on day of arrest) Religious authority online “I prophesy two weeks from now a great testimony over your life in Jesus name! Don’t forget Jesus is Lord” ( Bushiri’s post 28th February 2019) Rather than diminish his religious authority as some studies on digital religion suggest (See Cheong, 2013) Bushiri in his appropriation Facebook reinforces this authority in creative ways as exemplified in this post: Religious authority reinforced The use of ‘I’ in the previous post, Microphone handlers These posts are indicative of how these pastors appropriate new media technologies, in the case of this analysis, Facebook, to reinforce traditional hierarchies and positions of authority, as well as “strengthen and expand their communities and to gain public recognition for their organisations” (Hackett and Soares, 2015: 2) “The media won’t tell you this” “Alex shack victims pour their hearts out to Bushiri” (Bushiri’s post, 7th March 2019) Headline with a link to the full story on the ECG website which doubles as a ‘news’ outlet sample comments: “I know the media won’t say anything about this” “Why can’t all SA newspapers and social media capture these great positive news about the great prophet”[sic] Facebook post and religious product placements “Do you have [sic] feel hard-pressed with the pains of everyday’s [sic] living? Well, if you are, then this song by my son Gwamba is for you. The song encourages you to stand against all odds for the promise of eternity is true and unquestionable. Download and share” (Bushiri’s post 27th February 2019) The prophet delivers Sunday Of No More Delays LIVE: The Grace touches Botswana A woman is located for prophecy and the Lord surprises [surprises] her with a detailed prophetic word, she will not see the demon of delay again! Major 1 picks up her business tenders in the spirit and tells her he sees food. She confirms that she deals with a tender where she supplies [supplies] breakfast, lunch, and suppers. She also supplies schools with stationery. [stationery] The prophet notes that there is a delay in the business, worth R900,000 plus. The prophet sees her place and date of birth. He tells her of a connection that will surface in Palapye. This will change her life forever. He delivers her from delay, and it is done! If God can do it for her, He will do it for you! What are you waiting for! (Bushiri’s Facebook post, 10th March, 2019) “Bushirified” A comment beneath this post reads: “I am not waiting for anything I am HIJACKING... Daddy next Sunday it will be us spiritual hijackers giving big big [sic] testimonies. Save this post” (Comment from a ‘Bushirified’ beneath Bushiri’s Facebook post 10th March 2019) A Google search of the term “Bushirified” yielded over 8,500 results ‘Bushirified’: ‘Worshipping’ Bushiri Mostly reverence and worship for this Bushiri who is almost deified Sample comment: “papa we are all worshipping you we love you papa major1 #ITSA” Conclusion One could argue from the foregoing therefore that Facebook affords users, especially those who follow Bushiri, as is the focus of this study and members of the “Bushirified” community an opportunity "to create and perform religious identity online” (Campbell, 2012:8) These Facebook posts and comments therefore create spaces for the negotiation and adoption of a ‘Bushirified’ religious identity online, a community which transcends geographical space and time. This importantly highlights how the appropriation of these new media technologies has opened up spaces for the performance of religion, and in this case Christianity, which is performed by clicking (Akinfemisoye, 2018). There is also a growing challenge to the role of traditional media where prophets, Bushiri-style, are circumventing the traditional routines that journalists would go through to posting what they regard as news. As such, the appropriation of new media technologies by these tech-savvy prophets, and in this case Bushiri, allows worshippers to “access the divine presence on their own terms” (Nyamnjoh, 2015: vii), whatever the divine means for their religious performances.