Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the deployment of myths by African Independent/Indigenous/Initiated Churches to provide theological justification for Mugabe’s long stay in office. It examines the motivation behind his scathing criticism of Pentecostalism as a tradition, as revealed in some contexts. The book highlights how Mugabe’s capacity to rouse emotions in the Global South facilitated the vibrancy of the personality cult around him. It argues that the focus on religion has obscured the role of secularism, despite Zimbabwe being a secular state, and looks at how secularism has set the terms for the interaction between religion and politics. The book argues that more than religion, secularism has shaped the field of religion and politics in Zimbabwe, including contributing to the stay of Mugabe in power for thirty-seven years. It explores African traditional religious elements that Mugabe retrieved and appropriated into his leadership.