ABSTRACT
The 1991 political transition announced a new era for Ethiopia’s Christian and
Muslim communities. The Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Front (EPRDF) issued
new policies and introduced a legal framework aimed at recognizing the country’s
inbuilt diversity. The lifting of earlier restrictions on religious expressions made
religion more visible in public, and led to a sharp increase in religious activities and
religious diversity, in effect strengthening Protestant and Muslim communities and
counterbalancing the traditional hegemonic position of the Ethiopian Orthodox
Church (EOC). This article surveys the intersection of EPRDF’s policies and the reconfiguration
of the religious landscape in contemporary Ethiopia. By assessing the legal and
political parameters for religions in post-Derg Ethiopia, the article demonstrates how
the ruling party provided a government-independent framework for religious
plurality, yet at the same time sought to control and monitor religious activities.
The article also explores the strategies adopted by Muslims and Christians
(Orthodox and Protestant) in maneuvering under such circumstances, and points
out how the increasing religious activities and diversity have intensified debates
about religion and politics and about being Ethiopian.
