Abstract
Africa is poised to become the epicenter of global Christianity, with young adults in Sub-Saharan Africa demonstrating higher levels of religiosity than their counterparts in other world regions. However, increased Christianization does not necessarily equate to spiritual well-being. Instead, religious landscapes across the continent reveal a paradox of spiritual vitality and deep-seated vulnerabilities. This paper interrogates how colonial disruptions and transnational religious influences have shaped contemporary Christian expressions among young Africans, often exacerbating interfaith tensions, gender inequalities, and social marginalization. I draw on Jinah Kim’s framework of postcolonial grief to examine the historical ruptures that fractured indigenous religious practices and continue to shape religious vulnerabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through ethnographic research in Ghana, I explore how young Christians navigate pluralistic religious contexts, internalized colonial hierarchies, and the socio-political influence of American evangelical conservatism. The proliferation of charismatic movements, controversial sects, and exclusionary theological doctrines are analyzed as spiritual phenomena and as expressions of unresolved historical trauma. By bridging Africana Critical Social Thought, practical theology, and postcolonial and decolonial theories, this research highlights how African Christianity, though globally interconnected, is often studied in isolation from its historical wounds. Ultimately, I argue that addressing vulnerabilities that render young people susceptible to religious manipulation requires a paradigm shift in religious practice and theological formation – one that acknowledges Africa’s colonial past and present, fosters religious literacy, and critically engages with African Indigenous epistemologies and the socio-political dimensions of faith in an era of transnational religious exchange.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Community and Socialization
KEYWORDS
Postcolonial Grief, Religious Vulnerability, African Christianity, Youth Religiosity, Interfaith Relations
