Black American and Nigerian Pentecostalism: A Black Religious Schizophrenia, 1910-2010

The paper x-rayed the origins and growth of Pentecostalism in American and African milieu. It is a comparative study. Finding showed that in spite of African Pentecostals being African initiated churches, American Pentecostalism has direct or indirect influence on Nigerian Pentecostal spirituality. Making use of the hermeneutical circle, I related the biblical teachings of pneumatology, faith healing, economic and spiritual empowerment to demonstrate their inherent compatibility and their application in the emergence of Pentecostal programmes in American and African Pentecostalism as is related to social crisis, the dislocation of masses brought on by economic deprivation, urbanization, the break up of traditional society and consequence loss of traditional values. The method of approach is analytical based on the review of related literature