Religious Bumper Stickers in Contemporary Botswana: Social and Cultural Constructs and Denominational Positioning in the Battle for Membership

Abstract

This paper analyses the aesthetic elements constructed in religious communications. Employing semiotic analysis, the paper focuses on the bumper stickers pasted and found on cars in Botswana. The study sought to examine the techniques of persuasion used by various local Christian religious ministries and the approach that these ministries have towards the public they are attempting to reach out. The data used is part of an ethnographic study that was conducted from April 2016 to March 2019, whose overarching aim was to explore the intersection between media and religion in Botswana, particularly the extent to which religious groups use new media to advance their religious missions. The findings demonstrate that through the use of bumper stickers, various religious denominations in Botswana have attempted to elicit people’s interests in their churches, and advanced the positioning of their church in society.