THADDEUS POPE

For centuries, the vast majority of Evangelical Christians lived in Europe and North America. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, Evangelical Christianity is no longer a predominately European or North American religious system. Today, most Evangelical Christians live in Africa, Latin America, India, South Korea and China, where they are combining Evangelicalism with local practices and traditions, and interpreting the Bible within different historical and cultural contexts, thus creating distinctive forms of Evangelicalism each unique to its specific location. Consequently, in some parts of the world, Evangelical Christians place even greater emphasis on prophecy, visions, faith healing and the literal interpretation of the Bible, than many of their European and North American cousins. These relatively new forms of Christianity may seem unusual but, in spite of this, their numbers are growing exponentially and, as a result, they are becoming increasingly able to exert influence and control over people, events and politics.

In recent years, after centuries of receiving missionaries from western countries, Evangelical churches from non-western countries have begun sending their own missionaries to Europe and North America. Some have even built their own churches in Europe and North America, which enable them to deliver and spread their own distinct forms of Christianity. This global phenomenon is significantly changing the religious landscape of the United Kingdom where hundreds of churches have been created that cater predominately for expanding migrant populations, whilst trying to attract new adherents from their local communities. This is particularly evident in some of the larger urbanised areas of South London, which is where my photographic essay takes place.

While living in South London, I became interested in the different Evangelical groups in my area, so I began attending services in Brixton, Camberwell and Elephant & Castle. Unlike the Church of England services that I attended as a child, these sermons were lively and exciting, the preachers spoke with intensity and passion, and the congregations’ singing was joyous and uninhibited. Sometimes, the atmosphere was exhilarating, and unlike anything I had previously experienced. However, at other times, I felt extremely disconcerted by talk of witchcraft, exorcisms and faith healing. While in church one Sunday, I was invited to attend a faith healing by a Nigerian Evangelist called Pastor Sam, which I readily accepted. With a Bible clasped firmly in one hand, and a microphone held tightly in the other, Pastor Sam could work his congregation into a state of frenzy within minutes. Among other things, Pastor Sam claimed that he could cure infertility, heart disease and cancer.

Faith healing is a highly contentious subject; with many faith healers accused of making outlandish claims that cannot be substantiated. Whether faith healing simply makes people feel better or can actually cause healing in people is questionable, however, one thing is certain - the practice of faith healing is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. The images in this gallery represent a body of work which attempts to document the growth and development of this phenomenon with particular emphasis on conveying emotions.

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THE HALLELUJAH REVOLUTION / FAITH HEALING IN LONDON: PROJECT OVERVIEW

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