“Singing in Tongues” as Esotericism and Postmodern Christianity. A Study of Contemporary Nigerian Gospel Music
Floribert Patrick C. Endong, Eugenie Grace Essoh Ndobo
Cahiers d études africaines 2023 DOI: 10.4000/etudesafricaines.40821 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the "singing-in-tongues" paradigm in Nigerian gospel music, promoted by a new generation of Pentecostal hip-hop artists, is understudied and can be illuminated through the philosophical and religious currents of esotericism and postmodernism, and that it reflects a subtle form of postmodern Christianity in Nigeria. |
Abstract
The Nigerian gospel music industry has over the years witnessed the emergence of many artistic, cultural and philosophical movements. One of these movements is the “singing-in-tongues” paradigm, particularly endorsed by the new generation of Pentecostal hip-hop musicians, many of whom seem bent on redefining the boundaries of Nigerian gospel music. Although remarkable, the singing-in-tongues paradigm (as deployed by Nigerian artistes) has remained understudied or virtually non-theorized by scholars. This paper seeks to fill this apparent gap in knowledge by exploring the singing-in-tongues concept in the light of two philosophical/religious currents, namely esotericism and postmodernism. What has been the place of the singing-in-tongues paradigm in the evolution of the Nigerian gospel music industry? How is singing in tongues esoteric? And how is it a subtle reflection of postmodern Christianity in Nigeria?