JohnPaulAbdou

ProfessorFarrar
Hist29A

AfricaandReligion
ExpertstheorizedthatascapitalismandeducationreachedtheshoresofAfricaitwould
bringforthasecularizedAfrica.AnAfricathatseekstoabandonreligion.However,africans
havedefiedthistheory.ThemajorityofeducatedmiddleclasspeopleinAfricaidentifywitha
religion.
ThePewForum
reportedin2010that57%ofafricanspracticeChristianity,29%
practiceIslam,and13%practiceATR(AfricanTraditionalReligions).Inthewesternworldthe
spiritualandmaterialworldsareperceivedtobeseparated.Instarkcontrast,manyAfricans
believeboththeseworldstobeintertwinedintoone.Traditionalafricanreligionsassertthe
presenceofbenevolentandmalevolentspiritsthataredirectlyresponsibleforeventsthat
transpireinthematerialworld.ThishasinfluencedAfricanstousetheirfaithasalenswith
whichtoseeandunderstandtheworldaroundthem.Asaresult,theroleofreligionhasimpacted
politics,healthcare,andeducationinAfrica.
Religionhasalargepublicpresenceacrosscommunitiesinafrica.Accordingto
Afrobarometer
in2009,90%ofAfricansin19differentcountriesbelievereligiontobe
somewhatorveryimportant.Thatiswhyreligiousorganizationshavethehighestrateof
participationamongallcivilorganizations.Theyservicethosewithinthecommunitythatwere
failedbythestate.Forexample,peopleinTanzaniaafflictedwithHIV/AIDswereservicedby
churcheswhenthestatecouldnotmeettheirneeds.Thelargepublicpresenceofreligioncan
alsobeassociatedwiththereputationofreligiousleaders.Religiousleaderstendtobe
charismaticandskilledspeakers.Additionally,religiousleadersareseenasthemediators
betweenthespiritualandmaterialworld.Thus,theyprovideanswersforthosewhoseetheworld
asacombinationofthephysicalandspiritualworlds.
Religionhasplayedalargerolewithinpolitics.Religiousorganizationshavepushedfor
multipartyelections,raisedawarenessforgovernmentrelatedhumanrightsabuses,and
promotedfreedomofspeech.Forexample,Malawibishopsissuedaletterthatcriticizedthe
governmentofHastingsBandaforitslackofconcernforthepooranditsinvolvementin
humanrightsviolations.Topromotedemocracy,religiousleadersthathailedfromZambia
fosteredamultipartyelectioninthatregionamidstopposition.PentecostalChristianspromoted
campaignstofightcorruptionandendorsedcandidatesthatweremorallyoutstanding.

JohnPaulAbdou
ProfessorFarrar
Hist29A

Additionally,thepartnershipbetweenchurchandstatehasallowedforsmallfaithbased
institutionstocombatissuespertainingtowater,education,andhealthalongsidelocalofficials.
Manyimprovementsinsocioeconomicstandardsaredueinpartbyreligion.Religious
peoplearetaughttotreatmarginalizedpeoplewithcompassion.Asaresult,faithbased
organizationshavebuiltclinics,hospitals,schools,anduniversitiesinafrica.12%ofPrivate
schoolslocatedinTanzaniaarerunbymuslimorganizations.Anastonishing40%ofhealthcare
servicesinsubsaharanafricaareprovidedbyreligiousbasedinstitutions.TheCatholicchurch
pioneeredprogramstotakecareofthosethatweredyingfromAIDSinthe1980s.Faithbased
institutionshaveprovidedahealthcaresysteminAfricawherethereislittletonone.
AlthoughreligionhasimpactedAfricainmanygreatways,italsohasitslimitations.
Groupsthatendorsereligiousinstitutionscanescapethescrutinyoftheiragendas.Thismeans
thatmanyreligiousorganizationscanbesilencedbydonors.Thispatronclientrelationship
preventsreligiousorganizationsfromactingsolelyfortheinterestsofimprovingthe
community.Churchhierarchiescanalsoserveasanobstaclebyimpedingreforms.Inaddition
thereareareasofafricathataresusceptibletoislamicradicalization.Areasofafricawherethe
stateisweakandcorruptactasvacuumswhereradicalgroupscanform.Anexampleisthe
formationofalShabaabwhichwasresponsibleforthe2013WestgatemallattackinMali.In
spiteofallthis,grassrooteffortsofsmallreligiousorganizationsareeffectiveonlocallevelsand
remainimmunetopatronclientrelationshipsandhierarchiesthatplaguelargechurchbased
organizations.

WorksCited

1. PATTERSON,AMYS."ReligionAndTheRiseOfAfrica."
BrownJournalOfWorld
Affairs
21.1(2014):181196.
AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.31Jan.2016.

JohnPaulAbdou
ProfessorFarrar
Hist29A
RESEARCH:
alShabaabterroristattackonwestgatemallinNairobi,Africa(September2013)
attackedsymbolsofglobalization,consumerism,andwesternization
createsamisconceptionthatreligioninafricaisviolent,primitive,antiwestern
alShabaabisaIslamicterroristorganization
controlledpartsofsomalia(1990srecently)
TheRisingofAfricaispropelledbyreligion
religiousactors/institutionsinfluencesecurity,political,andsocioeconomicdevelopment
andcreateaninternationalnorm
BarackObamatermeditnew,moreprosperousAfricaatUSAfricaleaderssummit2014
economicgrowthof5%from2003to2013
increasedparticipationsinglobalpeace/securityefforts
riseofAfricanmiddleclass
increasingtieswithchina,india,brazil,russia
IntroductionofIslamfrom9thcentury
IntroductionofChristianityfrom1700s
AfricanTraditionalReligions(ATR)
emphasizedroleofspiritsmalevolent/benevolent
holistichealth:traditionalmedicinesandspiritualcleansing
ancestorveneration
2010:24%ofworldschristianslivedinAfrica
2010PewForumreported:57%christian,29%Islamic,13%ATRS
ReligionhasastrongpublicpresenceinAfrica(THEEVIDENCE)
nomatterhowsmall/bigcommunitiesarereligiousactors/institutionsarevisible
AverageAfricanfindsReligionimportant,Afrobarometerreportedin2009
90%ofAfricanssurveyedin19countries
Providecivilsocietyorganizationswithhighparticipation
Whenthestateorcivilsocietygroupshavefailedthepeople,theyturntoreligion
peoplewithHIV/AIDSgainsupportfromchurchesinTanzania
Religiousleadersareskilledspeakersandhavecharisma
Africansdontseedistinctionbetweenmaterialandspiritualworld.Worldsinterwoven
togethertoexplaintheworldaroundthem.
religiousleadersaremediatorsbetweenthetworealms
Religiousleadersthushavepowertomobilizecitizens.Religionplaysacrucialrolein
transformingthecontinent.
2013IslamicterroristgroupsattackMali(LIMITATIONS)
leadsmanytobelievethatAfricacanbecenterofIslamicterrorism
Theweaknessofstatecreatesavacuumforterrorismtocreepin
Manyislamistgroupsseemtobeunified,buttheyallhavedifferentgoals.
Religiousleadershavehelpedpromotedemocracybycriticizingpeoplesinpowerorfosteringa
moredemocraticgovernment.(POLITICS)
Promotemultipartyelections
bringtolightabuses

JohnPaulAbdou
ProfessorFarrar
Hist29A

freedomofspeech,assembly,press
ChurchStaterelations(POLITICS)
PentecostalChristianshavebecomeinvolvedinnationalpolitics.promote
Anticorruptioncampaignsandendorsemorallyupstandingpeople.
Differentreligiousorganizationshaveworkedtogethertopromotepeacefulelectionslike
theGhanians.
grassrootsreligiousorganizationshelpcommunitiesengagelocalofficialsaboutissuesof
water,education,andhealth.
Limitations
Somestatefundedchurcheshoweverstaysilentamidstgovernmentabuses
grassrootsorganizationsfreefromhierarchies,patronclientrelationships,andhavegood
leadershiptendtobemoreeffectiveinengagingwithofficialsonalocallevel
Socioeconomicdevelopment
faithemphasizescompassiontowardthemarginalized
christianmissionariesestablishedclinics,hospitals,schools,universities
Muslimorganizationsrun12%ofprivateschoolsinTanzania
religiousbasedinstitutionsprovide40%ofallhealthcareservicesinSubSaharanAfrica
CatholicChurchinZambiapioneeredhomebasedcareprogramsforpeopledyingfrom
AIDSinthe1980s
religiousentitiesmayrelyheavilyoninternationalfundingwhichmeansthattheymaynot
questionthedonorsagendas,howeverthechurchhasshownthattheywillnotsupportfunders
agendasifitgoesagainsttheirconvictions.
Defysecularizationthesis
thesisstatesthataseducationandcapitalizationgrowsinnonwesterncountries,then
secularizationtakesover
religiousidentityhasbeenstrongestamongtheeducatedmiddleclass

Bibliography

2. PATTERSON,AMYS."ReligionAndTheRiseOfAfrica."
BrownJournalOfWorldAffairs
21.1(2014):181196.
AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.31Jan.2016.