Скачать или смотреть Religion, Government- Joshua Maponga Marara on how Religion Kept Africa in Disarray

Religion—particularly through the forces of colonialism—threw Africa’s once-cohesive culture and spirituality into disarray. Before foreign interference, African societies were deeply rooted in spiritual systems that honored the ancestors, nature, and community. These belief systems were not mere “superstitions”; they were the moral and cultural backbone of African life. But the arrival of Christianity and Islam—often backed by colonial power—systematically dismantled that foundation.
Missionaries branded indigenous beliefs as pagan and barbaric, forcing many Africans to abandon their sacred traditions in favor of Western religious ideals. Temples were destroyed, rituals were banned, and spiritual leaders were silenced. What was once a proud, holistic way of life was replaced by systems that devalued African identity and labeled its spirituality as inferior. This religious conquest did not just change how Africans prayed—it redefined how they saw themselves.

Foreign religions fractured communities that once lived in spiritual unity. Neighbors turned against one another—some adopting the new faiths to gain favor with colonial rulers, others resisting to preserve their traditions. Entire generations grew up detached from their ancestral wisdom, believing salvation lay not in their heritage but in the ways of the colonizers.

Yet, even amid this disarray, Africa’s spirit proved unbreakable. In many places, Africans reimagined and blended their old beliefs with new religions, creating unique, syncretic faiths that kept ancestral voices alive beneath foreign doctrine.

In essence, religion—used as a tool of domination—disrupted Africa’s cultural harmony and spiritual self-understanding. It replaced pride with shame, unity with division, and sacred knowledge with foreign control. The result was not just a loss of faith, but a profound disconnection from the soul of Africa itself.