Religion and Development in Africa

Abstract

The modern idea of developing Africa essentially dates to the years after 1945. From the start, ideas about development generally overlooked the role of religion, or assumed that religion would be relegated to a matter of private belief in Africa as secular states gained strength and confidence, or even saw religion as an obstacle to development. Yet it is now apparent that religion is a growing force in public life in Africa, as in many other parts of the world. In all parts of Africa, mosques, churches and other religious sites are multiplying, and religious rituals are often to be seen in public space. Moreover, there are heads of state or other senior politicians who make extravagant public proclamations or gestures of their religious allegiance. We have described and analysed these phenomena at length in a book, Worlds of Power: Religious Thought and Political Practice in Africa, published by C. Hurst and Co., London, in 2004.