African Christianities and the politics of development from below

Abstract

Religion and development are two ambiguous phenomena, yet we can map their creative interaction and intricate interconnectedness. In public discourse, ideas about development generally undermine the complex role of religion, or it is assumed that religion would be relegated to a matter of private belief in Africa, as secular states burgeoned, or even saw religion as an obstacle to development. Development was largely conceived of primarily in economic terms or as economic development. In contemporary era, the concept of human development has come into vogue, accentuating aspects of people’s lives that go beyond the economic dimension. There is no gainsaying in the fact that religion has been a dynamic entity and remains a growing force in public life in Africa. This article critiques vague definitions of religion and development and contends that human development should be understood as including the religious and spiritual dimension of life. Drawing upon concrete examples from my religious ethnography, the article seeks to explore the ambivalent role of religion in Africa’s development, and Africa’s development within the purview of the everyday lived religious and spiritual dimensions of life.

Horizons of Interest

“…Aerial pictures of these churches have depicted fleets of buses, large tents and buildings, as well as impressive parking spaces with large numbers of cars and choppers. This is duplicated in the entire sub-saharan Africa region (Adogame 2016).…”

Towards a Kenyan political theology: The importance of church history for contemporary public life

“…The rise of Pentecostalism, in the first wave and then the consequent rise of Charismaticism within mainstream Christianity in consequent waves are also markers of African Christianity today. Indeed, African Christianity has varied trajectories (Adogame, 2016).…”

Religious Multiplicity: An Inquiry into the Psychological Use/Abuse of the Social Media in Evangelism

“…Religion has not been achieved as a result of culture, nor has it waited for maturity in the individual any more than for maturity in the race but, is a part of culture at every stage of human history (Coe, 1904). The reality of religious pluralism is undeniable especially on the heels of man's continuous search for God, hope, salvation and the interconnectedness of religion with socio-political, socio-cultural and more recently, socio-economic influence (Adogame, 2016). These antecedents in view of religious development and followership have yielded positive fruits (in Nigeria) leading to rapid evangelization of remotest parts of the country albeit its negative nuances perennially plaguing its spiritual essence (Bidwell, 2015).…”