Christianity and Socio-cultural Issues. The Charismatic Movement and Contextualization of the Gospel in Malawi

The most prominent development on the Christian scene in Malawi and much of Africa is the growth of the Charismatic Movement seen here as distinct from the Pentecostal movement. This growth was unexpected to scholars who assumed that the African Independent Church's reaction against missionary Christianity and cry for an authentic African Christianity would have encouraged similar levels of support. The intention of this study is to trace the path of incarnational theology and to understand the popularity of the Charismatic Movement despite its apparent lack of enthusiasm for inculturation, which in the mainstream churches is argued would make the Christian faith more relevant and attractive to the Malawian masses. It argues that the way in which the Charismatic Movement is responding to the socio-cultural context in Malawi is more appropriate in view of the current realities.