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1. Impact of the Church on Conflict Transformation of Political Crises at Community Level: A Case Study of two Church Denominations in Dzivarasekwa, Harare

Author:
Angela Shoko
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
African Journal on Conflict Resolution
Institution:
The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)
Abstract:
This study, based on Lederach’s conflict transformation (CT) theory, analyses the participation of the local church in CT of political crises in Zimbabwe at the grassroots level – from 2005 to 2020. It compares the CT interventions of one Pentecostal church denomination and of one African Independent Church denomination in the Dzivarasekwa suburb of Harare. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used. SPSS software was used to analyse quantitative data while the NVivo application was used for qualitative data analysis. One key finding is that both denominations believe CT entails community engagement. Major challenges to local churches’ CT participation include financial constraints, repressive laws and church executives’ fear of victimisation. The study concludes that the impact of the local churches is low because their interventions are limited to congregation members and their immediate neighbours. Another conclusion is that CT is politicised in Zimbabwe, which restricts effective church participation. The study makes some recommendations to address this.
Topic:
Religion, Transitional Justice, Conflict, Christianity, and Political Crisis
Political Geography:
Africa and Zimbabwe

2. Christian missions and anti-gay attitudes in Africa

Author:
Maxim Ananyev and Michael Poyker
Publication Date:
04-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP)
Abstract:
We argue that colonial Christian missions had a long-term impact on anti-gay attitudes in Africa. We use a geo-coded representative survey of African countries and the location of historical Christian missions to estimate a significant and economically meaningful association between proximity to historical missions and anti-gay sentiments today. Using anthropological data on pre-colonial acceptance of homosexual practices among indigenous groups, we show that the establishment of missions, while nonrandom, was exogenous to pre-existing same-sex patterns among indigenous population. The estimated effect is driven by persons of Christian faith and statistically indistinguishable from zero on samples of Muslims, nonbelievers, and followers of traditional indigenous religions. Thus, we argue that our results are indicative of a causal effect of missionary religious conversion to Christianity.
Topic:
Religion, Discrimination, Christianity, LGBT+, and Missionaries
Political Geography:
Africa

3. Stabanisation: A discussion paper about disrupting backlash by reclaiming LGBTI voices in the African church landscape

Author:
Hanzline Davids, Abongile Matyila, Charlene van der Walt, and Sindi Sithole
Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Other Foundation
Abstract:
The title of the convening that gave rise to this collaborative reflection Breaking though the Backlash: Transformative encounters between LGBTI people and Churches in Africa, implies a level of visible and tangible progress in pursuing justice for LGBTI people within the African faith landscape and a coordinated push-back against progressive gains and constructive progress. Consequently this contribution starts by critically engaging the African contextual faith landscape and reflecting on examples of both progress and emerging backlash when it comes to the full inclusion of LGBTI people within African faith communities. Following from this, we explore the contours of a possible theology of liberation for LGBTI people in the African context. We agree with Makau Matua who argues that to engage with backlash we require “…thoughtful analysis, courageous advocacy and fundamental reform.”
Topic:
Religion, Christianity, LGBT+, Advocacy, Inclusion, and Activism
Political Geography:
Africa

4. Taking a Stand: A call to action by the church against injustice towards LGBTI people

Author:
Allan Boesak
Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Other Foundation
Abstract:
At its 2008 General Synod the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa considered a report on the church’s stand on the question of sexual orientation and nonconformity. That was a moment, in my view, in which this church, who had declared apartheid, its biblical and theological justification a heresy and led the ecumenical movement in doing the same; who in formulating in 1982, and adopting in 1986 the Belhar Confession as a new standard of faith, faced its greatest challenge since confronting apartheid. Central to the Confession are our unity in Christ; the reconciliation wrought by Christ, and the justice demanded by God. These three things. I was the convenor of that task team and presenter of the report at the synod. It was one of those utterly shattering, fundamentally life-changing experiences. After a hostile, and theologically disturbingly crude, debate, the synod rejected the report, its contents, its conclusions and its recommendations calling for justice for LGBTQI persons and referred the report for reconsideration. Even though the words, “another, more anti-gay report” were deleted from the amended version of the original proposal, the intention could not have been clearer. What was striking and shocking, even though hardly unknown in debates on this matter it seems, was the stridently hostile tone of the debate, the blatant homophobic language that dominated the discussion all through the afternoon. Speakers who took the floor did not even attempt to disguise their contempt. Some spoke openly of LGBTQI persons as “animals”, “not created by God”; of bestiality and of LGBTQI persons in one breath, all of which as being a “scandal” and “stain” upon the church. It was an experience that had left me shaken and disoriented: how could the same church that took such a strong stand against apartheid and racial oppression, gave such inspired and courageous leadership from its understanding of the Bible and the radical Reformed tradition; that had, in the middle of the state of emergency of the 1980s with its unprecedented oppression, its desperate violence and nameless fear given birth to the Belhar Confession that spoke of reconciliation, justice, unity and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, now display such blatant hatred and hypocrisy, deny so vehemently for God’s LGBTQI children the solidarity we craved for ourselves in our struggle for racial justice, bow down so easily at the altar of prejudice and bigotry?
Topic:
Human Rights, Religion, Christianity, LGBT+, Justice, and Advocacy
Political Geography:
Africa and South Africa

5. When Faith Does Violence: Re-imagining engagement between churches and LGBTI groups on homophobia in Africa

Author:
Gerald O. West, Kapya Kaoma, and Charlene van der Walt
Publication Date:
12-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Other Foundation
Abstract:
This article offers reflection on work that has been done over the past decade or so in African contexts, across a number of continent-wide networks. Each of these networks has sought to construct safe and sacred places for dialogue with diversity, between African LGBTIQ Christians, African theological educators, and African church leadership. The emphasis of the article is on theological process rather than theological content. How we do theology resides at the centre of our current contestations around sexuality. Our starting point in terms of re-imagining engagement between churches and LGBTIQ groups on homophobia in Africa is the actual real presence of LGBTIQ people. Without these people there can be no re-imagining, there can only be violence. Diversity requires real diverse bodies.
Topic:
Religion, Christianity, LGBT+, Advocacy, Homophobia, and Activism
Political Geography:
Africa

6. Silent No Longer! Narratives of engagement between LGBTI groups and the churches in southern Africa

Author:
Masiiwa Ragies Gunda
Publication Date:
12-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Other Foundation
Abstract:
Southern Africa, like the rest of the African continent, is grappling with the increasingly visible reality of homosexual and bisexual women and men, as well as transgender and intersex people. Increasing numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) organizations and openly LGBTI individuals populate both the public sphere and many people’s private lives. The struggle for equality and social inclusion of LGBTI citizens is intensifying in the region. Since the population remains deeply religious, religion plays a vital role in this struggle
Topic:
Human Rights, Religion, Discrimination, Christianity, LGBT+, Equality, and Inclusion
Political Geography:
Africa and Southern Africa

7. Towards Pentecopolitanism: New African Pentecostalism and social cohesion in South Africa

Author:
Chammah Kaunda
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
African Journal on Conflict Resolution
Institution:
The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)
Abstract:
This article evaluates the challenges that militate against the full engagement of New African Pentecostalism (NAP) in the process of social cohesion in South Africa. It argues that this new religious phenomenon in South Africa has been preoccupied with the promotion of internal social cohesion within its ecclesiastical boundaries to the neglect of national social cohesion. Employing the notion of ‘religious cosmopolitanism’ (Cahill 2003) as theoretical underpinning, the article proposes a new concept termed Pentecopolitanism, as an ethical frame for New African Pentecostal engagement in democratisation and social cohesion in South Africa. The notion of Pentecopolitanism is envisaged to function as an antidote against sectarianism and fundamentalism within NAP and a framework for its constructive engagement with pluralism in the current South African search for national social cohesion. Pentecopolitanism is a philosophy which arises out of the need for recognition of the social function of religion, so as to enable human beings to discover their humanity through the humanity of others.
Topic:
Religion, Christianity, Social Cohesion, and Pentecostalism
Political Geography:
Africa and South Africa