T. B. Joshua
Temitope Balogun Joshua ( born June 12, 1963 in Arigidin - Akoko in Ondo, Nigeria ) is a charismatic healer and preacher. He founded the Church Synagogue Church of All Nations ( SCOAN ).
Life
Not much is known about the years before the founding of the Synagogue Church, through education and prior experience. On the part of his followers is said already the birth of TB Joshua was accompanied by miracles, and that he had received the Holy Spirit in the womb. It is known that TB Joshua belonged to a Aladura Church, founded by Primate Oladunni New Temple Church. Shortly after the founding of the Synagogue Church in 1991 made reports of miraculous cures being talked about, which went beyond anything you had heard of spiritual healing so far. From TB Joshua is claimed by his prayers even diseases such as HIV / AIDS or cancer could be cured.
The sermons TB Joshua are in the tradition of radical pflingstlerischen enthusiasm. He gets enormous popularity from all over the world; also from Europe and the U.S. many of the faithful make pilgrimages to its headquarters in Lagos, to experience healing or spiritual growth. His church exists in at least ten African countries; some prominent Africans pay off his supporters, including former President of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills, as well as the former president of Zambia, Frederick Chiluba. TB Joshua operates a television station called Emmanuel TV.
The dispute over T. B. Joshua
TB Joshua seems to be the currently most controversial clerics and healers of Nigeria. He is accused of blasphemy and fraud; many of which he claims to be healed afterwards became ill again. His unorthodox methods are suspected of Christian critics of the occult. The Nigerian widely known televangelist Chris Okotie throws him " shamanistic practices " before. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria ( PFN), the umbrella association of Nigerian Pentecostal Churches, the Synagogue Church refused membership. In a statement published in early 2002, the PFN TB Joshua denounced as a fraud.
Theological arguments play in the debate about TB Joshua on both sides of the opponents and the proponents hardly matters. It is, if anything theologically, then argued purely biblizistisch. The controversy may, however, be construed as a dispute about how far can vary a specifically African understanding of Pentecostal preaching from the universal scheme.
The arguments of the opponents can be summarized in three points:
- It is firstly argued that the cures TB Joshua had not been handed biblical.
- Secondly, it attempts to detect logical contradictions in the messages TB Joshua.
- Third, fraud is being accused of.
The followers of TB Joshua and he even try direct confrontations with the criticism should be avoided. In their systematic Not arguing they see themselves in the tradition of Jesus, who was also not opposed slander directly. Willem J. Ouweneel, lecturer at various evangelical oriented universities, answered the critics, they were in danger of " blaspheming the Holy Spirit." After Ouweneel was caught in the crossfire of criticism because of its positive reference to TB Joshua saw this compelled a cautious distancing.