Alejandra Perez Rotondo

This research, funded by the Wenner-Gren Fellowship, investigates the contemporary charismatic movement in Ethiopia through the figures central to the Pentecostal and Orthodox revival movements and their congregations. Fieldwork, conducted between 2023 and 2024, was centered in Addis Ababa and surrounding areas due to logistical challenges, including the ongoing armed conflict in northern Ethiopia. The study examines how faith-based healing spaces function as sites where spiritual, social, and political needs converge in an era of rapid transformations at the national level. The research focuses on a neo-Pentecostal prophet and his church and the Orthodox priests performing exorcisms at holy water sites across the city. While both traditions engage distinct ethical and aesthetic motifs in their healing practices, the contours of the current charismatic movement have started to blur the borders between religious denominations, borrowing elements from both to articulate a new vision of the Christian faith. The final phase of the research explores how these charismatic figures have adapted their practices to digital platforms, expanding their reach beyond local communities. The study also considers how religious healing intersects with political discourse, particularly how the “prophetic atmosphere” of Pentecostal healing aligns with Ethiopia’s socio-political context.