Pentecostal Christianity and Traditional Religion in Nigerian Video Films by Edo-Language Filmmakers

IF 0.9 2区社会学 Q2 CULTURAL STUDIES

Journal of African Cultural Studies Pub Date : 2023-04-03 DOI:10.1080/13696815.2023.2200923

Edorodion Agbon Osa

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the representation of Pentecostal Christianity and African traditional religion in Edo-language (also known as Bini or Benin) video films. It discusses this in relation to English-language Nigerian religious video filmmakers’ demonisation of African traditional religion in their films. The article responds to Birgit Meyer’s work in her article “Religious Remediations: Pentecostal Views in Ghanaian Video-Movies”. It adopts an ethnographic approach based on participant observation, and uses interviews with key Edo-language video filmmakers. The current scholarship on Nigerian religious video films mainly focuses on the representation of religions in English-language Nollywood films and creates the impression that the Nigerian video film industry is an area of homogeneous cultural production. In contrast, Edo-language film producers do not privilege Pentecostal Christianity or traditional religion in their films but use the values of the two religions, which they see as similar, to edify Edo citizens and to promote the wellbeing of Benin society. This article therefore challenges the view that all Nigerian films represent traditional religion negatively and calls for greater recognition of the particularity of indigenous-language religious video films.

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尼日利亚视频电影中的五旬节基督教与传统宗教

本文探讨了五旬节派基督教和非洲传统宗教在埃多语(也称为比尼语或贝宁语)视频电影中的表现。它讨论了这与英语尼日利亚宗教视频制片人在他们的电影中妖魔化非洲传统宗教的关系。这篇文章回应了Birgit Meyer的文章“宗教补救:加纳录像电影中的五旬节派观点”。它采用了一种基于参与式观察的民族志方法，并使用了对关键的江户语视频制片人的采访。目前关于尼日利亚宗教视频电影的学术研究主要集中在诺莱坞英语电影中宗教的表现，并造成了尼日利亚视频电影工业是一个同质文化生产领域的印象。相比之下，江户语电影制片人在他们的电影中并不偏袒五旬节派基督教或传统宗教，而是使用他们认为相似的两种宗教的价值观来教育江户公民并促进贝宁社会的福祉。因此，本文挑战所有尼日利亚电影都消极地代表传统宗教的观点，并呼吁更多地承认土著语言宗教视频电影的特殊性。

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来源期刊

Journal of African Cultural Studies Multiple-

CiteScore

1.70

自引率

10.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of African Cultural Studies publishes leading scholarship on African culture from inside and outside Africa, with a special commitment to Africa-based authors and to African languages. Our editorial policy encourages an interdisciplinary approach, involving humanities, including environmental humanities. The journal focuses on dimensions of African culture, performance arts, visual arts, music, cinema, the role of the media, the relationship between culture and power, as well as issues within such fields as popular culture in Africa, sociolinguistic topics of cultural interest, and culture and gender. We welcome in particular articles that show evidence of understanding life on the ground, and that demonstrate local knowledge and linguistic competence. We do not publish articles that offer mostly textual analyses of cultural products like novels and films, nor articles that are mostly historical or those based primarily on secondary (such as digital and library) sources. The journal has evolved from the journal African Languages and Cultures, founded in 1988 in the Department of the Languages and Cultures of Africa at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. From 2019, it is published in association with the International African Institute, London. Journal of African Cultural Studies publishes original research articles. The journal also publishes an occasional Contemporary Conversations section, in which authors respond to current issues. The section has included reviews, interviews and invited response or position papers. We welcome proposals for future Contemporary Conversations themes.