God in the marketplace: Pentecostalism and marketing ritualization among Black Africans in the UK

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine market-mediated transformative capacities of Black African Pentecostalism. It does this by exploring the interface between religion, culture and identity to generate a fresh interpretation of how marketing is ritualized among UK’s Black Africans on the platform of Pentecostalism.

Design/methodology/approach

Methodology is based on in-depth interviews with respondents drawn from the African Pentecostal movements in London, UK. This paper shows how adherents’ responsiveness to Pentecostal dogmas generated market advantages.

Findings

The paper reveals the interconnectedness of religion, faith and culture which, in turn, coalesced into a dense network that defines the reproduction, organization and approach to entrepreneurial marketing.

Originality/value

Pentecostal practices unveil the marketing notion of “Pentepreneurship”, which combines both spiritual and enterprise activities to formulate a fused space of engagement straddling the sacred and the secular. This fusion points to a unique platform of entrepreneurial marketing that bestrides ethno-cultural, religious and economic identities.

Citation

Ojo, S. and Nwankwo, S. (2020), "God in the marketplace: Pentecostalism and marketing ritualization among Black Africans in the UK", Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 349-372. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-12-2019-0126