An Original Investigation of the Charismatic Movement’s Theological Development in Nigeria: From 1970 to 2023

The charismatic movement in Nigeria underwent significant theological development from its early manifestations in the 1970s through the emergence of distinctive Nigerian Pentecostal theology, the prosperity gospel, the prayer movement, and the contemporary mega-church phenomenon. A systematic theological historiography of this development, tracing its theological logic and internal differentiation, is a significant gap in African Christian studies. This study provides an original theological historiography of the charismatic movement in Nigeria from 1970 to 2023, identifying the key theological turning points, figures, and developments that shaped its contemporary form. A historical-theological methodology is employed, drawing on archival research at the Nigerian Pentecostal Research Archive, documentary analysis of theological publications and sermon collections from the period, oral history interviews with 35 first-generation charismatic leaders and theological observers, and statistical analysis of church growth data. The historiography is organised around six theological epochs: the early charismatic renewal (1970 to 1979), the indigenous movement emergence (1980 to 1989), the prosperity theology consolidation (1990 to 1999), the mega-church institutionalisation (2000 to 2009), the deliverance ministry intensification (2010 to 2015), and the contemporary diversification period (2016 to 2023). Original contributions include a Theological Periodisation Framework for Nigerian Pentecostalism, identification of specifically Nigerian doctrinal innovations absent from global Pentecostal comparative frameworks, and a critical evaluation of the movement's theological trajectory and its implications for future Nigerian Christianity.

Keywords: charismatic movement, theological historiography, Nigerian Pentecostalism, original investigation, African Christianity