Religion and Political Behavior in Africa

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to some of the most religiously diverse countries in the world, and also hosts some of the most religious populations in the world. Yet until recently, relatively little research on African politics has examined the role of religion in shaping political and economic beliefs and behavior in Africa. In this panel, we examine a variety of ways in which religion -- including religious elites, organizations, and communities -- shape behavioral and attitudinal outcomes including rising support for Islamic conservatism, political participation, and educational attainment.

Several papers in the panel investigate the role of religious elites in shaping political behavior. Religious elites are key influencers with daily -- and often unregulated -- access to congregants. In “From Pews to Politics: Using Sermons to Study Religions’ Influence on Political Participation,” Rachel Riedl and Gwyneth McClendon employ laboratory experiments and observational data from across Africa to investigate the effect of sermon content on Christians’ political participation. In a second paper, “Islamic Conservatism and Interreligious Conflict in sub-Saharan Africa,” Aala Abdelgadir conducts surveys in 300 mosques in Uganda to examine how exposure to fundamentalist Islamic sermons influences social cohesion among Muslims and Christians in Uganda.

A third paper investigates the cooptation of religious elites by the state. In “The Reciprocal Influence of Pentecostalism and 'Ethnopopulism' on Political Mobilization in Africa,” Elizabeth Sperber focuses on the case of Zambia, showing how Pentecostal leaders are mobilized by political leaders to foment public support and prolong regime survival. A final paper shows how religious identity can shape behavior even in the absence of direct appeals by religious and political elites. In “Social Norms and the Persistence of Educational Inequality: Evidence from the Muslim-Christian Education Gap in Africa,” Melina Platas uses a lab experiment in Malawi to examine the role of social norms within and across religious communities in shaping beliefs and behavior regarding formal education.

Together, these papers demonstrate the centrality of religion to political and economic outcomes. With the rise of charismatic leaders and instrumentalization of religious ideology in contemporary African politics, it is critical to understand the role of religion in shaping the beliefs and behaviors of individuals and communities.

Sub Unit

• DIVISION 53: African Politics Conference Group

Individual Presentations

• Using Sermons to Study Religions’ Influence on Political Participation - Rachel Beatty Riedl, Cornell University; Gwyneth McClendon, New York University

• Islamic Conservatism and Interreligious Conflict in sub-Saharan Africa - Aala Abdelgadir, Stanford University

• How 'Ethnopopulism' interacts with Pentecostalism in African Politics - Elizabeth S. Sperber, University of Denver

• Social Norms and the Persistence of Educational Inequality - Melina Raquel Platas Izama, NYU Abu Dhabi

Chair

• Melina Raquel Platas Izama NYU Abu Dhabi

Discussant

• Graeme Blair UCLA