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| Title: | Towards a history of the Charismatic churches in post-colonial Zambia |
| Author: | Cheyeka, Austin M. |
| Book title: | One Zambia, many histories: towards a history of post-colonial Zambia |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Pages: | 144-163 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Zambia |
| Subjects: | African Independent Churches Church and State |
| Abstract: | Since the 1970s up to the present there has been a consistent growth in Charismatic Christianity in Zambia, where 87 percent of the population is Christian.The author assumes that this period forms a distinct phase in the religious history of Zambia. The growth of such churches, which Zambians prefer to refer to as 'Born Again' churches, has meant that a fourth 'umbrella' religious group, the Independent Churches Organization of Zambia (ICOZ), was founded on 12 November 2001. This essay gives a survey of the history of such churches since c. 1967 in an attempt to pinpoint the reasons for their popularity. Leaving aside the fact that the form of such churches fits well into the African context and accords well with the African temperament, such points as economic decline, drastic social changes, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS should be taken into consideration. There are some who see their rise as a capitalist plot and it is indeed true that many churches receive generous funding from America. Since the 1990s and the political rise of Frederick Chiluba, these churches have also been playing a more political role. Some ministers were given portfolios in Chiluba's cabinet. The uncritical loyalty shown to the government by these churches at a time when the more traditional churches are adopting a critical stance has also bolstered their political position. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract] |
