religion - The African Mirror

May

2023

Can Music, Art, and Religion accelerate intra-Africa trade?

WITH its increasing emphasis on music, art, storytelling and religion as unifying factors among 54 African countries, it is anticipated that the Africa Continental Free Trade Area-the world's largest single market will be implemented more quickly. As the continent gears up for this year's Africa Day celebrations on May 25th, several organisations are hosting events around these themes to appreciate diverse cultures and languages and holding online conversations on the role of faith in fostering social and economic integration. Africa Day is an event that signifies the establishment of the African Union and honours the continent's pursuit of unity. The…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

God and politics in South Africa: the ruling ANC’s winning strategy

RELIGION

RELIGION shapes some of the most controversial decisions that governments need to make: access to abortion, same-sex marriage, the death penalty and the legal status of sex work. Indeed, it is likely that most voters across the world consider religion to be essential to their lives. Yet research on religion and political parties remains surprisingly inexact. Author DAVID JEFFERY-SCHWIKKARD, PhD Candidate (Theology and Religious Studies), King's College London Much of the research to date has been waylaid by the wrong question: is a political party fundamentally religious or secular? Yet the “essence” of a party resists definition. Is it its…

Mar

2022

By The African Mirror

Uganda recognizes pregnant teens’ right to education, but religion, stigma lock out most

EDUCATION

WAMBI MICHAEL WHEN schools reopened in Uganda in January, Atim’s baby was 3 months old. The 17-year-old wished to go back to classes but she faced a dilemma—whether to disclose to her teachers that she was a lactating mother. Atim chose to open up to some of the teachers who offered to help her return. The school made a provision to allow her to secretly breastfeed the baby within its premises. The first two weeks were challenging for the young mother. “It wasn’t easy but I’m now getting used to the students and teachers. The teachers have really been helpful,”…

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

How multicultural churches in South Africa are breaking down race barriers

RELIGION

RACE is an issue that’s always simmering below the surface in South Africa. One of the ugliest aspects of the recent wave of looting and violence was the killing of people based on their race in a neighbourhood in the port city of Durban. It was a reminder that the internalised apartheid stereotypes and beliefs are still firmly in place. MARILYN NAIDOO, Professor Practical Theology, University of South Africa A consolidated identity has become one of the most worrying South African realities and needs to be attended to as a matter of urgency. Churches still reflect these social divisions, with…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Faith in numbers: Is church attendance linked to higher rates of coronavirus?

RELIGION

THE lockdowns that almost every state went into in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020 interrupted nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives. Businesses were shuttered, schools closed and social groups stopped meeting as scientists rushed to understand the pathways through which the virus spread. RYAN BURGE, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Eastern Illinois University One of the most controversial parts of the lockdown strategy in the United States was the closure of churches across the country. But as an analyst of religious data, I believe the latest evidence appears to point to the clear…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Hope and religion in a time of crisis: evidence from Colombia and South Africa

RELIGION

STRICT lock-down regulations, that have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, have broad implications for well-being. In many countries, businesses and other kinds of operations had to adjust or close. Unemployment rates rose and economic activity slowed dramatically. VICTOR COUNTED, Research Fellow, Western Sydney University KENNETH PARGAMENT, Bowling Green State University RICHARD G. COWDEN, Research Associate, Harvard University Alongside concerns about financial security, stay-at-home orders have disrupted daily routines and physically isolated citizens from people and places that were part of their everyday lives. These conditions have led to much psychological distress around the world. However, people who live in…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Is belief in God a delusion?

RELIGION

AS the pandemic raged in April, churchgoers in Ohio defied warnings not to congregate. Some argued that their religion conferred them immunity from COVID-19. In one memorable CNN clip, a woman insisted she would not catch the virus because she was “covered in Jesus’ blood”. RYAN MCKAY, Professor of Psychology, Royal Holloway ROBERT ROSS, Research Fellow in Philosophy, Macquarie University Some weeks later, the cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker commented on the dangers of evangelical religious belief in the coronavirus era. Writing on Facebook, he said: “Belief in an afterlife is a malignant delusion since it devalues actual lives and discourages…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

How religion inspires the Nigerian diaspora to develop Africa

RELIGION

EDWARD ADEMOLU, LSE Fellow in Qualitative Research Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science IN many ways, it’s challenging to define international development. What angle would you prioritise when you consider something so broad? Macroeconomics? Structural adjustment programmes? International trade policy? Or is it poverty reduction? All these are valid. But no definition would be complete without considering it from the viewpoint of so called ‘developed’ and ‘underdeveloped’ nations. Despite multiple interpretations, the broader understanding of faith and religion in development are barely understood. Especially for African diaspora communities engaged in development work. Religion has often been a key…