Abimbola Adelakun: Illuminating Pentecostal Spirituality and Faith Practices in Nigeria
Abimbola Adunni Adelakun is one of Nigeria’s most insightful academic voices on religion. Her work explores Pentecostalism, spiritual naming, and the cultural performance of faith in Nigeria.
Religion as lived practice: Adelakun unpacks how Pentecostal faith performs itself in Nigerian society.
Abimbola Adunni Adelakun is a Nigerian scholar, writer, and cultural critic whose work focuses on Pentecostalism, spiritual naming practices, and the performance of religion in Nigeria.
With a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, she contributes regularly to The Punch newspaper while producing groundbreaking academic essays that bridge faith, performance, and public life.
Academic Background & Focus
Born in Ibadan, Adelakun earned her Master’s in Communication and Language Arts at the University of Ibadan before pursuing a Ph.D. in Dance and Theater at the University of Texas at Austin.
She combines her training in performance with religious studies, showing how faith is not only spoken but enacted in Nigerian Pentecostal culture.
Signature Works
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The Spirit Names the Child: Pentecostal Names and Trans-ethics (2020) – A study of how naming practices embody theological and ethical meaning.
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Godmentality: Pentecostalism as Performance in Nigeria (2017) – Investigates how Pentecostal faith is embodied as a performative art.
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Pentecostal Panopticism and the Phantasm of ‘The Ultimate Power’ (2018) – Explores religious power as spectacle.
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Under the Brown Rusted Roofs (Novel) – A literary work blending Nigerian culture with themes of faith and community.
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Cultural & Religious Impact
Adelakun’s work shines a light on faith as cultural performance. From naming rites to Pentecostal sermons, she demonstrates how spirituality operates both as worship and as social theater.
Her contributions are critical for scholars, faith leaders, and readers who want to understand the vitality of Nigerian Christianity.
“Religion in Nigeria is not just what people believe—it is what they perform, embody, and rehearse daily.” – Abimbola Adelakun
Why Her Work Matters
In a religiously diverse and vibrant Nigeria, Adelakun’s scholarship helps us see Pentecostalism as more than a church service.
It is a language of culture, power, and performance that continues to shape daily Nigerian life.
Her writings remain essential for anyone seeking to understand faith in its social and cultural dimensions.
