How religion, gender, and urban sociality are expressed in and mediated via television drama in Kinshasa is the focus of this ethnographic study. Influenced by Nigerian films and intimately related to the emergence of a charismatic Christian scene, these teleserials integrate melodrama, conversion narratives, Christian songs, sermons, testimonies, and deliverance rituals to produce commentaries on what it means to be an inhabitant of Kinshasa.
Illustrations
Acknowledgements
On Language
Chapter 1. The First Episode
Religion, Media and Kinshasas Public Sphere Working with Cultural Producers Mediation and Remediation Research Methodologies Structure of the Text
Chapter 2. Cursing the City. The Ethnographic Field and the Pentecostal Imagination
The Heat of Kinshasa Competing Christianities Signs of the Apocalypse Witchcraft, or the Extraction of Life A Christian Key Scenario To Conclude: (Re-)Presenting the Apocalypse
Chapter 3. Of Fathers and Names. Social Dynamics in an Evangelising Drama Group
Bienvenu Toukebana: Setting up and Managing a Drama Group Fiston Chapy Muzama: From Rapper to Pastor The Pastor and Maman Pasteur Clovis Ikala: Setting up a New Theatre Company Cinarc versus the Group of Muyombe Gauche: Rivalries among Troupes Mamy Moke and her Lover Ance Luzolo: Boasting with a Contact Conclusion
Chapter 4. Variations on Divine Afflatus. Artistic Inspiration, Special Effects, and Sermons
The Christian Artist The Pastor Special Effects as Visual Evidence Conclusion: Special Effects, Dreams and Melodrama
Chapter 5. Mimesis in Motion. Embodied Experiences of Performers and Spectators
Going into Seclusion Mimesis and Possession Spectators and the Sacred Visuality and the Senses Framing to Protect Closing Notes: Mediating Performances
Chapter 6. The Right Road. Moral Movements, Confessions and the Christian Subject
I am a Sinner The Moral Movement A Modern Purification? To Conclude I: Mediation by the Holy Spirit: Transformation from Evil to Purity To Conclude II: Melodrama and Rituals
Chapter 7. Opening up the Country. Christian Popular Culture, the Generation Trouble and Time
The Difference between Existing and Living The Generation Trouble The Healing Power of Narrative Past, Present and Future To Conclude: Youth, Christianity and Development
Chapter 8. Marriage comes from God. Negotiating Matrimony and Sexuality (Part I)
Against Ethnic Endogamous Marriages: Mayimona Incest Reconsidered: The Devouring Fire Negotiating Adultery: The Open Tomb Concluding Notes: Playing the Games
Chapter 9. The Danger of Sex. Negotiating Matrimony and Urban Sexuality (Part II)
Kindumba: Deviations from Accepted Sexual Practices Gods Men Making Meaning of Sex Opposing Messages Women and Social Power: The Moziki Women and Vedettes
Conclusion I:Negotiations about Matrimony and Sexuality
Conclusion II:The Melodrama and the Feminine
Chapter 10. Closure, Subplots and Cliffhanger
The Melodrama on and beyond the Screen Cultural Producers in an Apocalyptic Society The Recovery of the Salon The Next Episode
Bibliography
Index
