Ten years ago, I examined the entanglement of religion and politics in South Africa ahead of the 2014 national election.…
Revisited: Jesus, religion, and revolution in the South African elections
South Africa
Covid-19, death, and repatriation in Southern Africa
I argue here that regulations that were set up to prevent the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus have entered…
The commemorative state, human remains, and the question of missing-ness
We have sought to understand the practices of return and reburial through the concept of forensic history. Here, and influenced…
Gandhi’s birthday and the American religious left
For those of us in the United States, Gandhi’s birthday is also an opportunity to reflect on how lessons from…
A women’s march without God (the Father)
Despite the increasing feminist readings of religion, the broader women’s movement frequently overlooks religion, and the result is often an…
Jesus, religion, and revolution in the South African elections
In 2004 and 2008, South African president Jacob Zuma notoriously declared that his party, the African National Congress, will “rule…
Mourning a political saint in Johannesburg
On December 6, 2013, I, along with millions of South Africans, woke to the news that Nelson Mandela had died.…
Traditional, African, religious, freedom?
I have been observing and analyzing religious trends in various parts of sub-Saharan Africa for several decades, with a particular…
Politics of religious freedom in South Africa
Unlike Europe and North America, the discussions in South Africa relating to religious freedom do not center on the extent…
Wild Religion: Tracking the Sacred in South Africa
In his new publication, Wild Religion: Tracking the Sacred in South Africa, David Chidester explores South African indigenous religious heritage…