Religious Literacy

Introduction

Religion is important to people because it not only gives them an individual identity but it also gives them a group identity. It fosters a sense of personal belief as well as a sense of community and belonging. Religions are diverse around the world. The main religions include Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. Buddhism is not so much a religion as a philosophy or way of life. But even among the main religious traditions, there are different sects and belief systems and ways of living. Pagan religions still exist in some parts of the world, and in other parts atheism is a growing trend. Because all of these belief systems can clash, and people can come into conflict with one another over these beliefs religion is sometimes blamed as being the cause of all wars. But the reality is that people who hold strong beliefs tend to act according to the degree to which they have virtue. Gandhi, for instance, did not hold to any one religion but viewed them all as partly true; but when he advocated for a Muslim ruler in India over a Hindu ruler, the Hindu political extremists sought his murder. This shows that when religion mixes with politics, it can lead to violence. Religious literacy is therefore critical for contemporary security architects in Africa, because the more that religion is understood the more secure society in Africa can become.

History of Religion in the World and in Africa

Religion usually stems from some sense of the divine reaching out and communicating with mankind. The Jews believe that God spoke to them through Abraham and Moses. Muslims believe that God spoke to them through Muhammad. Christians believe that God spoke to them through Christ and the Apostles and saints. Hindus believe that the gods spoke to them through the Brahmans of their caste system. Ancient religions were essentially the same.

The Jewish religion was one that led to the Christian religion, and as the West became Christian after converting from various pagan religions, it began to date its history from the birth of Christ. This same practice of dating history from the birth of an important person is done in Islam, with Muhammad being the beginning date of the Islamic calendar. However, Jews, Christians and Muslims have come into conflict with one another over the centuries. Jews persecuted the early Christians. Christians and Muslims fought during the Crusades. Christians even fought one another in Europe after the Protestant Reformation divided the continent between Catholics and Protestants. Protestants attacked one another and Catholics and Protestants fought. At the time of the Reformation, the Muslims were even invading, and Jews were ascending in societyso these conflicts are real and always have been. Yet these conflicts can be understood in helpful ways that will allow people to appreciate them better. In Africa, this is certainly the case, as Africa itself has Muslims and Christians as the main religious groups. Understanding them can help leaders to organize more effectively and promote working toward a common aim.

As Harvard (2022) points out, religious literacy entails the ability to discern and analyze the fundamental intersections of religion and social/political/cultural life through multiple lenses. Some countries in Africa are starting to take religious literacy seriously as they attempt to deal with security issues. For instance, South Africa has changed its policy on religion in recent years: as Driesen and Tayob (2016) note, The South African National Policy on Religion and Education (2003) is designed to expose learners to the diversity of religious traditions that constitute the nation. The new policy replaces the mono-religious system of education promoted during apartheid (p. 71). In South Africa, religious literacy is now being regarded as a civic duty and as an essential part of citizenship education. For security architects, it means providing guidance, training, and identity management in policies and procedures that will unite states wherein diverse populations and beliefs can be found.

Various Religions and Practices in Africa

Africa as a whole has many diverse religions and traditions, and the distinction between North and South Africa is especially pronounced. The North of Africa is primarily Islamic and the South of Africa is primarily Christian (MPPR, 2022). Scattered throughout some regions in the East and West of Africa are traditional African religions that still remain. The three main native African religions in Africa are the Yoruba religion, the Zulu religion, and the Igbo religion. The Yoruba is found mainly in southwestern Nigeria, while Zulu is found in southern Africa and Igbo in southeastern Nigeria. Security architects should be mindful of this diversity and promote inclusion criteria for security objectives. To do this, understanding the different religions is vital.

The Yoruba religion contends that all-natural beings have energy or Ashe and that all people follow destiny (which is called Ayanmo) and will eventually meet their divine creator, the source of all energy (MPPR, 2022). Yoruba is found mostly in Nigeria, Benin and Toga. Zulu on the other hand is found in South Africa and other states and its practitioners engage in ancestor worship, but also believe in witches, sorcerers and God. Because Christianity has spread through southern Africa, there has been some mixing of Zulu and Christianity to create a kind of hybrid religion. The Igbo have also adopted some Christian ideas but traditionally they believe in numerous gods, including an earth goddess named Ala (MPPR, 2022).

Christianity is the predominant religion of Africa, but mainly in the south, with about 600 million adherents. It spread to Africa from the north in about the 2nd century AD. It was probably brought from Jerusalem to Alexandria on the Egyptian coast by Mark, one of the four gospel writers, in 60 AD (MPPR, 2022). Christianity spread far and wide in Africa, but when Islam conquered North Africa, the north has tended to remain Islamic. Today about 440 million Africans are Muslim (MPPR, 2022).

p>As Barnard (2015) states, religion is a glue that can bind and unify a nation or a group of people, or it can lead to thedestruction ofnations as well aslead tointra-state conflicts (p. 2). However, it is not easy to characterize conflicts as religious conflicts, because of the fact that identity, group membership, traditions, culture, economics, social and political factors, and other elements can all figure into a...…and appreciation among people. For example, security architects can recommend that schools dedicate time out of the year toward helping students research the various religions of Africa and present them favorably to the school in a way that helps to promote respect and appreciation. Governments can also promote positive religious activities, like dance, art, music, or other cultural expressions that are rooted in positive religious observance. This can be tied to worship as well, but there should be a sense of peace that is combined with the entire process.

Additionally, sometimes conflict is caused by economic reasons, such as resources like oil in Sudan (Barnard, 2015). Powerful elites can control the resources, and those without influence can seek to gain it by seizing control of government or attacking its infrastructure in a bid to gain control over its vital resources. The main objective is to gain strength through economic powerbut the motivating factor is religious because the group taking action wants to spread its beliefs and promote them instead of have them marginalized by a power structure that does not represent them. So for this reason, it is important to reduce the risk of conflict by creating an environment in which it is possible for all groups to have a say in government and to not be marginalized by a powerful elite.

But is it always possible to have an egalitarian society? In Africa, there are large wealth gaps, and many people do not have much influence or economic means. There is great corruption in many states, and people do not always feel equal to one another. Issues of religion come up as ways to foster identity, but even now religion is sometimes just a way to get around addressing other issues.

That is why it is important to approach these issues from the standpoint of religious literacy, because it allows one to think about the numerous factors that influence religious action, belief, practices, and what causes conflict. Whether one is looking at Boko Haram in West Africa, Al-Shabab in East Africa, Al-Qaeda in North Africa, or Christian issues in South Africa, one can see that there are currents and customs that play a part in all states, and there are economic, social and political factors that determine the extent to which people turn to religion for answers.

Conclusion

Religion has always been an important part of society throughout history. Yet religions have always come into conflict, too. The Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians. The Christians were persecuted by the Jews. The Muslims and Catholics fought for centuries. Protestants and Catholics warred with one another in parts of the world. Hindus and Christians and Muslims have battled in India. In Africa, there are currently struggles between extreme groups like Boko Haram and governments, and there are struggles between Christians and Muslims that need to be better addressed. They can begin to be addressed by the promotion of religious literacy, which can foster understanding and appreciation instead of allowing resentment and hatred to push people to violence. The climate of fear and anxiety in states like Somalia or parts of Nigeria is distressing because with a little bit of religious literacy…