ABSTRACT
This chapter unravels the complex intersections between development and religion in contemporary Africa, with reference to indigenous religions, Christianity and Islam. First, it begins by addressing what “development” refers to, and what religion has got to do with it. Second, it examines religious concepts of development in Africa, arguing that secular narratives of modernity and development are of limited relevance in African contexts. This is followed by a third section discussing the role of faith-based organizations in African development. The fourth section specifically focuses on the complex role of Pentecostal Christianity in promoting what can be called spiritual development. Along the way, attention is paid to critical developmental issues in contemporary African societies, such as ecology, gender, HIV and AIDS. The chapter’s overall argument is that both traditionally and in contemporary contexts, religious traditions and movements integrate spiritual and material dimensions of life and therefore blur the boundaries between “religion” and “development”.
