Religion in Africa has often been intertwined with colonialism, imperialism and economic motives throughout history. Subsequently, it has left an ongoing disorientation and identity crises. Arguably, the progressive and natural evolution of African cultures and civilization has not been organic and to the most part, has been violently disrupted.
Colonial powers frequently invoked religious rhetoric to legitimize their conquests and domination of other societies including dismissing those societies’ cultural and spiritual practices as primitive and barbaric. Largely, European colonial powers framed their expansion as a moral obligation to “civilize non-Christian peoples”, often under the guise of spreading Christianity. Spanish and Portuguese empires cited Catholicism as a justification for their conquests in the Americas and Africa using Papal Bulls like Inter Caetera. British imperialists often justified colonial rule by claiming that they were spreading Protestant values and Western enlightenment. Non-Christian religions or spiritual practices were often denigrated as ‘pagan’ or ‘uncivilized’, justifying cultural erasure and the imposition of Western religious and societal norms. This has profoundly affected Africa, embedding Eurocentric lens into the thought processes of many Africans and shaping how they perceive their reality. Education is never neutral – it either indoctrinates and subjugates you or empowers and liberates you (Freire).
Missionary activities often preceded or accompanied colonial ventures, softening local resistance by promoting conversion and reshaping cultural norms. For example, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and British East India Company often aligned their commercial goals with missionary efforts. Conversion to the colonisers’ religion often came with adoption of Western cultural norms, language, and political systems, further embedding imperial authority. Religion also served as a tool for consolidating and maintaining imperial authority. Missionary schools taught not only religion but also the language, history and ideologies of the colonisers, creating a class of intermediaries loyal to the imperial system. In Africa, some of the most ‘anti-African’ individuals are the educated elite, co-opted by the system to the point where they cannot envision a reality beyond Western dominance.
The legacies of religion, colonialism and imperialism still shape African societies even after independence, with Western religious and cultural norms sustaining neo-imperial dominance. To chart an authentic path to development, Africa must dismantle these lingering influences and reclaim its cultural and spiritual sovereignty.
