how does christianity impact social change in south africa

This is especially so in light of the high levels of trust still shown in this sector by ordinary people and the way in which churches inspire the activities of voluntary outreach, caring and social services, all of which can be mobilised for social capital interventions (cf. London & New York: Zed Books. "Eight Questions about Corruption." [ Links ], Swart, I 2006b. "Dividends of Religion in Nigeria," Unpublished public lecture presented at the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria, 12 May (copy obtained from author). Christianity and Social Change in Contemporary Africa . "Combating High-Profile Corruption in Transitional Societies: Overview of Experiences from Some African Countries." Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and the NRF does not accept any liability in regard thereto. Calabar: University of Calabar Press. Christianity, the faith of almost three-quarters of the diverse South African population, has long been pushed to the margins of historical writing on South Africa, yet for more than two centuries it has shaped South African society and its diverse subcultures. This religious worldview informs the philosophical understanding of African myths, customs, traditions, beliefs, morals, actions and social relationships (Mbiti 1999:15). In the same vein, religious communities and leaders in Africa are becoming increasingly embroiled in the competition for political power, social status and the other rewards that society can offer (Agi 2008:132). [ Links ], Kalu, OU 2010c. In this sense it is unthinkable for an African to live without religion. Whilst the African traditional religious heritage remains a potent force that - on a subconscious level - still influences the values, identity and outlook of Africans, Christianity and Islam have become major sources of influence in African society. [ Links ], Burkey, S 1993. He placed some emphasis on Christianity since it is a dominant religion in Ghana and also a religion he once practised. In ancient cultures, a wife was the property of her husband. The religious dimension in socio-economic and political contestation in Africa could be said to be both pervasive and complex (Kalu 2010d:36). Includes bibliographical references and index. Adesina, OC 2013. Christianity achieved a major thing in Africa: to teach the black Africans to forsake all their traditions and to facilitate colonialism. If you originally registered with a username please use that to sign in. [ Links ], Townsend, P 2006. [ Links ], Onaiyekan, J 2010. A situation that has religious leaders living in opulence whilst many Africans (including their followers) are living in penury is opposed to the expected stance of the religious community, which should be one of solidarity with the poor and marginalised in society. African Religions and Philosophy. Aristotle said that a woman was somewhere between a free man and a slave. RELIGION AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN SOUTH AFRICA A. There is no such thing as com-partmentalisation or dichotomisation when it comes to human existence: there is no division between matter and spirit, soul and body, and religious practice and daily life. The low level of forthrightness and transparency within political and economic institutions and by leaders is hindering social progress as this fosters corruption and stifles the development of civil societies. 1:57-183, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press. Although relief programmes are helpful in at least keeping the body and soul of the poor together as an interim measure, this does not amount to actual empowerment. . In response to the challenges of poverty, corruption and underdevelopment faced on the African continent, Lual Deng (1998:141-146) has called on African intellectuals to look at African history for a possible guide to an appropriate developmental framework that would integrate African social values and institutions in combination with the economic fundamentals included in contemporary development theories. [ Links ], Swart, I 2006a. You could not be signed in. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press. 1 (a) This material is based on work supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) under grant number 85113. ), Religions in Africa: Conflicts, Politics and Social Ethics, The Collected Essays of Ogbu Uke Kalu, Vol. [ Links ], Okafor, EE 2009. Presbyterians and Early Charismatic Movement in Nigeria, 1966-1975," in Kalu, W, Wariboko, N & Falola, T (eds. Religious values have informed local and international law; such values are greatly cherished and have been of immense benefit in the conceptualisation and development of modern democracy and democratisation. This act of immersion in society through participation in community is the very core of indigenous spirituality and morality. 1:185-210, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press. Of course, not all societies were equally transformed. For instance, among the Olulumo (Okuni) people of Cross River State in Nigeria, poverty (okpak), besides referring to a lack of possessions, financial incapacity and the inability to meet the basic needs of individuals and the community, also denotes a state or condition devoid of people, happiness and good health. We have argued that religion - whether African Traditional, Christian or Islamic -remains a major constituent of the worldview of African people. Most users should sign in with their email address. All rights reserved. Register, Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. ), Back on Track: Sector-led Growth in Africa and Implications for Development, 37-58, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press. The Aladura of West Africa, for example, strongly believe that the spoken word can be endowed with 'Agbara emi' (spiritual power). Whilst ZANU-PF and its president, Robert Mugabe, were routinely intimidating and attacking religious leaders such as Archbishop Pius Ncube3 for criticising the bad policies of government, Mugabe sought to woo other Christians. "Faith, Spiritualism, and Materialism: Understanding the Interfaces of Religion and the Economy in Nigeria," in Adogame, A, Chitando, E & Bateye, B (eds. The same resources can also be donated as a gift to the larger society (Adogame 2013:106). According to Adogame (2013:108), these benefits of religious communities as providers of social capital are playing out within African Christian communities in the triangular context of Africa, Europe and North America. "The Role of the Christian Faith in Development," in Belshaw, D, Calderisi, R & Sugden, C (eds. From this point of view, religion is of integral importance: it concerns the deepest root of human existence and integrates human life into a coherent whole (Schuurman 2011:273 -274). Olutayo Adesina (2013:40) argues that, like many other churches, these churches have become platforms for business interests which include the banking, publishing, broadcasting, entertainment and hospitality industries. African religions therefore constitute an enormous terrain that overlaps with the socio-political and economic spheres in sub-Saharan Africa and its diaspora. Whilst patronising the Christian churches, ZANU-PF members also requested spirit mediums to call upon the ancestors in support of Mugabe. ), Faith in Development, Partnership between the World Bank and the Churches of Africa, 39-48, Oxford: Regnum. In the face of socio-political and economic challenges on the continent, instead of Africans rising to the challenge, they resort to prayer. For instance, in the 2002 elections in Zimbabwe, whilst Archbishop Ncube declared Robert Mugabe's new election as president illegal and refused to attend the inauguration, two other Catholic bishops attended. In fact, it was the speed with which change occurred that set the colonial era apart from earlier periods in South Africa. 2013:5-7). The power and wealth provided by the state is usually competed for with enormous ferocity. In this regard, for example, Paul Tracey (2012:90) reminds us of the role of religion in enabling "the people" to fight oppression between the 18th and 20th centuries in Europe and the United States of America. They come together in one brotherhood that helps them to withstand the socio-political and economic chaos in Nigeria. During the same era, religion was seen as counter-developmental. In recent times, however, Pentecostal churches such as the Later Rain Assembly, under the auspices of Save Nigeria Group (SNG), are also engaging with civil society (Agbiji 2012:135-136,333). In the past mainline churches have borne the brunt of building civil society and responding to both the state and the enormous social service burdens (Kalu 2010h:302). Social change—Nigeria. From the coming of European settlers and missionaries in the seventeenth century, to the establishment of apartheid and its overthrow in 1994, Christianity played a central role in the formation of the country. Much of this nonchalance with regard to public issues is initiated by the political elite and given impetus by religious leaders and by the faithful. Doing Theology and Development: Meeting the Challenge of Poverty. During Ibrahim Babangida's regime as a military despot in Nigeria from 1985-1993, religious and traditional leaders were used to support his schemes. Relative poverty refers to conditions where basic needs are met, but where an inability persists to meet perceived needs and desires. "Globalization and Religion: The Pentecostal Model in Contemporary Africa," in Kalu, W, Wariboko, N & Falola, T (eds. "Introduction: African Traditions in the Study of Religion in Africa: Contending with Gender, the Vitality of Indigenous Religions, and Diaspora," in Adogame, A, Chitando, E & Bateye, B (eds. Regrettably, according to a recent report of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa rank among the seventeen most corrupt countries in the world (NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency et al. As a solution to the African Christian moral crisis which gives impetus to poverty and corrupt-tion, African Christians in particular, but also Africans of other religious communities, should approach life holistically, living with a concern for one another as a community, and recapturing the key concepts of shame and honour. century Christianity had been planted in most parts of Southern Nigeria, (Okwueze, 1995). The importance of religion includes the fact that religion is the root from which the different branches of life sprout and grow and by which they are continually nurtured. African Christianity, through African Pentecostalism, offers a typical example of the enormous hope that extends from religion to the society. All African societies view life as one big whole and religion permeates all aspects of life. This visit by representatives of the MDC similarly demonstrated how political leaders resorted to religion to promote their political ambitions. How does the moral experience and performance of Africans conform to the requirements of biblical, Quranic and African traditional religious morality? Development-oriented Church Leadership in Post-military Nigeria: A Sustainable Transformational Approach. I believe that with the advent of Christianity in parts of Africa, there has been a huge change is the amount of superstition. It could even be said that no other institution can compete with religious communities in carrying out this role. [ Links ], Svensson, J 2005. Such a sense of accountability under the watchful eyes of a Supreme Being should not be used to scare but should rather be a reminder of the fact that we will have to account for both our actions and inactions in all spheres of life. It is when religious communities live in the consciousness of these core values that religion can employ all its resources for the transformation of African societies. Christianity has had an immeasurable impact on just about every aspect of South African life. If religion is crucial to Africans, how could its resources and actors be mobilised to liberate African societies from poverty and corruption? In striving to answer these questions, we will first seek to develop a better grasp of religion as a major constituent of the worldview of African people. All religious traditions uphold moral values such as virtue, justice, the sanctity of human life, equality and human dignity. "Continuity and Discontinuity in Igbo Traditional Religion," in Metuh, EI (ed. "Churches and Social Development in South Africa: An Exploration," in Swart, I, Rocher, H, Green, S & Erasmus, J (eds. Departing from this discussion we will proceed to reflect more critically on the factor of religious complacency and on how religion is instrumentalised - especially through Africa's leaders - to sustain and enhance the structural existence of poverty and corruption in African societies. The aim here is to relate the promises in the Bible to the existential problems being experienced by the people so that no worshipper leaves the service bearing ' the burdens of yesterday' (Kalu 2010f:77). Despite the erosion of many religiously informed traditional practices by the forces of modernity and globalisation, religion, whether African Traditional, Christian or Islam, still has a vital contribution to make to the progress of African societies. Don't already have an Oxford Academic account? Kalu (2010e:272) has rightly observed that the radicalisation of religion in Africa is accompanied by the scourge of poverty. It assists in raising consciousness about community problems among people who would not otherwise be aware of those problems. However, within the corpus of alternative developmental approaches, humankind is being urged to return to communal and sustainable lifestyles, as they are now believed to be the solution to the global economic and environmental challenges (Theron 2008:7-9). [ Links ], Agbiji, OM & Swart, I 2013. A nexus between social capital drawn from religious communities, and civil society and democratic life is emerging among African societies (Agbiji 2012:135-136, 333). The emphasis of the Aladura, Zion and Roho churches is on prayer, dreams, prophesy, faith-healing and providing solutions to existential problems. 2. Consistent with its socio-political and economic role in African societies, the religious sector is a distinctive source of spiritual, socio-economic and political capital in Africa. RELIGION AND RECONSTRUCTION. [ Links ], Asamoah-Gyadu, JK 2010. Rethinking African Development: Towards a Framework for Social Integration and Ecological Harmony. These negative trends have not only claimed hundreds of thousands of human lives, but are also responsible for the enormous destruction of resources (Kalu 2010e:278) that could have been used for the development of African nations. Religion is indeed fundamental for Africans, since human beings live in a religious universe. Unlike societies of the global North, where faith and development were estranged at some point in history, in African societies religion remained central in all aspects of society (Kobia 1978:160; Laguda 2013:27; Adesina 2013:36, 37). Christians believe that his suffering took away all their sins. The situation is made even worse when religious leaders are seen as exploiters of the faithful. [ Links ], Kalu, OU 2010g. "The Challenge of African Christian Morality," in Chinne, Z (ed. Explore this article. By using the concept of religion in relation to African Traditional Religion, Christianity and Islam, the article seeks answers to the following questions: What is the essential nature of African religiosity? Fifthly, the politicisation and radicalisation of religion in a number of African countries - such as in post-independence Nigeria, Rwanda and recently in Egypt, Kenya, Sudan and other African countries - have led to violence, deaths, injustice, poverty and hardship, which will be very difficult to eradicate from the continent (Kalu 2010e:270-271). In the nations of the global North or the so-called developed world, the forces of enlightenment and modernisation have distanced religion from socio-political and economic life, relegating it to the private sphere. To be wealthy or rich, means to be surrounded by many people - community. As community-based institutions with vibrant networks, religious communities will continue to serve as unifying factors and vehicles for socio-political and economic development within the African continent. His thesis is, therefore, as follows: in order to recover African moral sanity, there is the urgent need to retrieve and restore some positive moral foundations and beliefs which were the moral basis of African societies. South Africa is the product of the colonial era — whether in terms of its social structures or its convictions. Why have Africans, both in moments of crisis and when in political or elevated positions, failed to live up to their religious vocation, especially in terms of enacting sound moral values? As tools of change, Christians may attempt to wipe out elements of traditional culture physically, as in the case of holy groves or idols. However, traditional religion shows resilience in its impact in such areas as Africans' historical-cultural roots, self-consciousness and expectations (Mbiti 1999:257; see also Ejizu 2002:127-129). [ Links ], Kunhiyop, SW 2008. Religion concerns the deepest root of human existence and integrates human life into a coherent whole (Schuurman 2011:273 -274). He asserts that between the 18th and 20th century, religious movements provided the basis for nearly all of the major uprisings by peasant or urban workers in Europe. The concept of honour and shame was also helpful in African societies as it prevented people from stealing in order to gain prestige or win accolades from the community. [ Links ], Ranger, T 2002. "Introduction," in Clarke, G, Jennings, M & Shaw, T (eds. There is also the belief in the Supreme Being to whom all beings are accountable. Available: http://cas1.elis.ugent.be/avrug/pdf02/ranger01.pdf [accessed 17 June 2014]. ), Development, Civil Society and Faith-based Organizations: Bridging the Sacred and the Secular, 1-16, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Such attitudes on the part of religious leaders are unbecoming. ), African Traditions in the Study of Religion, Diaspora and Gendered Societies, 25-34, Farnham: Ashgate. W.E.H. Once it was introduced to Africa, Christianity slowly spread from Alexandria to Ethiopia. Lamle (2013) (cited in Mang 2014:102) argues that: [t]hrough the [Pentecostal] church, people that had come together from different sociopolitical and socio-economic status are brought together into one family. [ Links ], Nieman, A 2010. CHAPTER 10 Rorty, rights and religion: The contribution of South African religions to a shared value system Ronald Nicolson INTRODUCTION The need for shared values It must be obvious to us all that if there is to be hope and stability in South Africa, a common set of values will need to be widely accepted. [ Links ], Davies, DJ & Guest, M 2007. Christianity, Politics, and Public Life in Kenya. "Mugabe Seeks Divine Intervention as Defeat Stalks Him." ), Boko Haram: Islamism, Politics, Security and the State in Nigeria, 85-109, Leiden: African Studies Centre. In addition, African churches should devise theological and hermeneutical models that are contextually relevant, and that assist religious education to be contextually relevant (Kunhiyop 2008:222). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies. However, in order to give a proper account we started by exploring in what sense religion can be said to be a way of life for Africans. His understanding of poverty among the Olulumo (Okuni) people is based on personal insights, experience and exposure to his community. ), The Development Change Agent: A Micro-Level Approach to Development, 1-20, Pretoria: Van Schaik. In addition to the development of moral values, accountability and social capital, religious institutions such as churches should contribute more deliberately to the development of technology, and to enhancing democratic and economic institutions. [ Links ], Muzorewa, GH 1985. "The Role of Institutional Factors in the Modeling of Economic Growth and in Policy Formulation in Africa," in Seck, D & Boko, S (eds. , nearly double the continent this is the very core of indigenous spirituality and.... 20- % 20Final.pdf [ accessed 17 June 2014 ] the critical examination of existing social systems... Religion influences the socio-political and economic transformation of the enormous hope that extends religion! Church-State Studies at Baylor University, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic account.. Moral accountability of good economic and democratic political systems enormity of corruption African! … in fact, contemporary South Africa Post-apartheid South Africa, many sub-Saharan African countries are amongst World. & Shaw, T ( eds annual subscription in Transitional societies: of! Reflections on 10 years of NEPAD and morality those problems after endorsing his projects Uya, OE (.. Christianity Today on South Africa, many sub-Saharan African countries. and in! But where an inability persists to meet perceived needs and desires of European colonial rule occurred in quick.... Formation could also apply to other religions such as Islam in Africa the... This pdf, sign in with their email address / username and password and try again him this of! Kolade 2001:79-84 ) African Apostolic Faith sect is a key source of social capital for promoting social in! 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