Christianismes et démocratisation au Kenya

Abstract

http://scp.sagepub.com/content/60/1/79.full.pdfThe involvement of Christianity in Kenyan politics cannot be understood without considering the role it has played in the coproduction of the colonial and postcolonial state. Churches participate in the construction of both ethnic and socio-economic identity. This can only weaken their status as 'moral referees' in Kenyan politics. The emergence of new religious movements and unidentified politico-religious objects alters the way religion plays the political game. In addition, the neotraditional politico-religious movements - a synthesis of the influences of Christianity and of supposedly 'traditional' religions - induce the milicialization of political life with its cortege of popular violence and abuse. The 'liturgical' call to a reinvented tradition reveals a new set of ethnic identities. As can be seen, Christianity and democratization in Kenya continue their dangerous tango, in which they are creating new steps.L'implication du christianisme dans la politique kenyane ne peut se comprendre sans étudier le rôle qu'il a joué dans la coproduction de l'État colonial, puis postcolonial. Les Églises participent à la fabrique des identités, tant ethnique que socioéconomique. Cela ne peut qu'affaiblir leur statut d'arbitre " moral " de la politique kenyane. L'apparition de nouveaux mouvements religieux et d'objets politico-religieux non identifiés transforme les règles du jeu politique du religieux. En outre, les mouvements politico-religieux néotraditionnels - synthétisant les influences du christianisme et de supposées " religions traditionnelles " - induisent une milicialisation de la vie politique, avec son cortège de violences populaires et d'abus. L'appel " liturgique " à une tradition réinventée dévoile un nouveau jeu sur les identités ethniques. On le voit, christianisme et démocratisation poursuivent au Kenya leur dangereux tango en créant de nouveaux pas

African and Not Religious: The State of Research on Sub-Saharan Religious Nones and New Scholarly Horizons

“…15 When asked by a journalist why they put themselves through all this trouble rather than simply living their private lives as atheists, the society's vice-president, Francis Maende, reversed the question and pointed out that the reality on the ground is that, “they [religious people] use their beliefs to control the laws, they use their beliefs to control our morality, they use their religion to control our behaviour, they use their beliefs to control the rest of society” (KTN News, 2019). While countries like Kenya are de jure secular, with formal allusions to God limited to “ceremonial deism” (Corbin, 2009), actual state practice is deeply infused with Christianity (Droz and Maupeu, 2013; Gez, 2021).…”

Preface

“…Since the return of a multi-party political system in 1991, each of the six general elections that have been held have revealed a different state of Kenyan civil society (Droz & Maupeu 2013;). In the late 1980s, a number of civil society actors criticised the repression of Moi's dictatorial regime and its totalitarian inclinations: tight control of the corps intermédiaires (political parties, trade unions, employers, etc.…”

The Aravai Peoples, the Site of Rabai and its Sacred Forests on the Kenyan Coast

“…The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), which acts as the umbrella organisation for the country's Protestant Churches, seemed to lose its neutrality when its leader ran in the legislative elections under the banner of the President's party. Furthermore, many religious leaders, particularly among the Pentecostals, decided to enter the race for a seat in Parliament, encouraged by the rejection of the 2005 draft of the Constitution Kavulla 2008;Gez & Alvis 2015;Droz & Maupeu 2013). Thus, the 2007-as well as the 2013-elections saw a tidal wave of Pentecostal candidates, many of whom came from neo-Pentecostal currents, which preach involvement in world affairs and advocate entrepreneurship through their theology of prosperity.…”