A Critical Examination of African-Initiated Churches’ Digital Presence and Its Implications for Religious Studies

Abstract

This study critically examined the digital presence of African Initiated Churches and its implications for religious studies, focusing on Worship Harvest and Phaneero Ministries in Uganda. The research aimed to investigate how African Initiated Churches utilize digital platforms to represent their beliefs and practices and the implications for decolonizing digital archives in religious studies. The study employed a critical digital humanities approach, combining qualitative content analysis of African Initiated Churches ' digital platforms (websites, social media, and online liturgies) with interviews of African Initiated Churches leaders and members. Decolonial theory was used to analyze the power dynamics of digital representation and its impact on African knowledge systems. The findings reflect that, African Instituted Churches are actively utilizing digital platforms to promote their beliefs and practices, however, despite their efforts, African Instituted Churches' digital presence is often marginalized in mainstream digital archives. This research contributes to a more inclusive and localizing study of African religions in the digital age. The findings highlight the need for indigenizing digital archives to amplify African voices and knowledge systems. By examining the digital presence of African Initiated Churches, this study sheds light on the importance of contextualizing archives and promoting African voices in the digital landscape. The study recommends prioritizing African perspectives and knowledge systems in digital archives, promoting a more nuanced understanding of African Christianity and its diverse expressions.