Powered by Faith

This book investigates the impact of Pentecostalism on the participation of women in business in Harare, Zimbabwe. Chapters in this volume trace the history of women's participation in business and highlight how Pentecostalism serves as a major motivating factor. The central argument is that there is a way in which selected women's businesses are ""powered by the Spirit."" Contributors to the volume utilize case studies of selected Pentecostal churches and ministries to highlight how the religious ideologies of these churches galvanize them to engage in business. They also draw patterns of similarity and difference across the different Pentecostal churches. The volume demonstrates how Pentecostalism both facilitates and militates against women's participation in business concerning a specific setting in Zimbabwe.


""This is an unparalleled, ground-breaking book that makes visible how, despite challenges, women in Pentecostal churches, 'powered by faith,' have broken the yoke of femininity of entrapment and adopted femininity of self-invention that lands them in entrepreneurship. The book is an important resource for scholars, students, and professionals interested in religion, gender, and economics.""
--Nisbert Taisekwa Taringa, Professor of Religious Studies and Fulbright Alumni, University of Zimbabwe



Tapiwa Praise Mapuranga is an associate professor in religion and gender in the Department of Religious Studies, Classics, and Philosophy at the University of Zimbabwe. She has published widely in the areas of gender and sexuality, politics, music, and gender-based violence, as each relates to religion. She has received a number of research grants and is a member of various academic societies.