Religion and politics significantly interface in Zimbabwe in a myriad of different ways. Religious rhetoric features widely in Zimbabwe’s political discourse and scholars continue to trace the parallels between the two spheres and the ways in which they significantly overlap. In fact, the religious and political spheres are not only mutually reinforcing, but one in the same, as the distinctions between the two have become increasingly blurred.
One of the fastest growing Christian denominational religions in Zimbabwe is Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism now accounts for 20% of the nation’s population and its widespread growth and popularity in Zimbabwe’s urban towns and high density areas continues to both confound and intrigue scholars. Pentecostalism generally tends to thrive in lower socio-economic areas, and in Zimbabwe, the Pentecostal faith has steadily grown rapidly in the nation in the backdrop of decades of political and economic turmoil.
This paper aims to look at the ways in which the growing Pentecostal faith has shaped ideas of political authority and leadership in Zimbabwe. It presents a conceptual framework for understanding how political leadership works in authoritarian contexts and examines the ways in which cultural religious beliefs and ideas frame the way in which African societies understand political leadership and authority. The paper argues for a fluid and hybrid approach to understanding the complex nature of interactions within the religio-political dimension of African states.
The paper is based on ethnographic material gathered through; in-depth interviews, focus groups and participant observation in Zimbabwe.