Religion and the Consolidation of the Zanu-PF Political Ideology

Abstract

Throughout history, religion has been no stranger to advancing political ideologies that are in tandem with its vision of a grand missional enterprise that has as its goal the salvation of the world. The case of the fourth-century church, which celebrated the Constantinian era with religious discourse after legalising Christianity, serves as a lesson to guard against the glorification of powerful political ideologies at the expense of prophetic mandates for the cause of the suffering people of God. However, a state–church relationship that results in a ‘colonial model’ of doing theology—a model that places the church at the mercy of the state and causes religious leaders to celebrate political leaders more than the Christ—tends to negate the church’s mandate to ‘speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy’ (Prov. 31:8–9). Sadly, collaborative and convenient political relationships between religion and politics often result in compromised prophetic discourses and the promotion of self-serving political ideologies to the level of divine order; hence, some pronouncements insinuating that political leaders are God incarnate for the cause of humanity. In postcolonial Zimbabwe today, we are witnessing a proliferation of charismatic/prophetic religious leaders whose mission seems to be to solidify preferred political systems, through a religious frenzy that smacks of absurdity and cognitive dissonance of a high order in light of their calling and the mandate of the church and those who claim to be the followers of Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour of the world. This chapter uses a qualitative methodology to demystify skewed theological and political thought patterns that evolve around the use of religion for political gain. Nevertheless, we are cognisant that religion is influenced, understood, and experienced through cultural, political, economic, and social norms.