The Rise of Protest and Religious Movements

The Rise of Protest and Religious Movements

Protest can be referred as a reaction against those who mistreat or humiliate others, indicating that their treatment cannot be taken any more. Protest can be divided into two;

1.     Active protest this involves physical reaction such as fighting or striking

2.     Passive protest this involves silent reactions such as boycotts.

The African religious movements prevailed in the early 20th century among African communities. They took form of either indigenous protest movements like Msambwa Religious Movements in Kenya or the form of independent churches that had broken away from white missionaries churches.

African independent churches’ paved the way for African emancipation to occupy high ranks in the church hierarchy; previously Africans were at the bottom in the church as they only ended up being bible school teachers and catechists all high ranks and decision were made by white missionaries, the formation of independent churches made the Africans to accept Christianity as a religion not an aspect of colonial system as they thought to be when it was conducted by white missionaries.

Generally, the breaking away of African from various western missionary churches to independent churches was an expression of a protest against colonial domination in Africa.

The Meaning of Protest and Religious Movements

Explain the meaning of protest and religious movements

Protest refers to a strong reaction against mistreatment and humiliation. Protests can be divided into two categories: Active protest e.g. physical reaction like fighting, and passive protest e.g. boycotts. While African religious movements were movements created by Africans to protest colonial powers.

The Causes of the Rise of Protest and Religious Movements

Analyse the causes of the rise of protest and religious movements

Church segregation, the European churches preached the salvation and equality of human being before God while Africans were segregated, oppressed and not allowed even to lead prayers they were taken as third citizens.

The assistance of missionary to colonizers, the European churches also involved in helping colonizers in land alienation, forced labour, taxation and administration which had no any relation with the teaching of the bible.

Africans realized that the European churches and colonialism were two sides of the same coin that the Christian missionaries were only to pave way for colonization process of Africa as many of them acquired labour farms and exploited African just like the white settlers.

Missionaries advised Africans concerning political and economic problems by breaking their resistance e.g. through preaching biblical doctrines like the humble people are the blessed for them will enter the kingdom of God forgive those who wrong you.

Missionaries intervened in African culture like girl circumcision among the kikuyu people in Kenya who vehemently detested the missionary activities. That prompted them to start independent schools and begun to spread.

The Africans showed disapproval of missionaries’ education system, they considered it inadequate as it only taught African reading, writing and arithmetic (3Rs) this enabled African to occupy low position in colonial administration like clerks and wound dressers in the colonial government’s hospital.

The Africans wanted to counter attack the colonial exploitation and domination independent church campaigned against payment of taxes by African, racial discrimination, unequal provision of social services and forced labour.

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Contribution of Protest and Religious Movements during the Struggle for Independence

Assess the strengths, weaknesses and contribution of protest and religious movements during the struggle for independence

Weaknesses/problems faced by religious movements during the struggle for independence

·         Financial problems the independent churches experienced in adequate funds because of depending on the little money rose from the few members of the churches that could not sustain most of their needs. For example the churches needed funds to support a large number of pupils expelled from mission schools in Kenya during the female circumcision controversy of the 1920s and 1930s.

·         Conflicts among church leaders within independent churches there were several church leadership conflicts emerged among the church founders, since everyone demanded leadership recognition in the church.

·         Competition between independent churches and the white missionary churches for followers following this the white missionaries influenced many Africans to be converted into their churches by all means including provision of gifts like clothes and shoes for the aim of preventing African independent churches from getting followers.

·         Lack of enough trained personnel as most of teachers in independent churches were untrained since most of them were ex-missionary school students with little western education and management skills.

Strengths and contributions of protest and religious movements during the struggle for independence

·         Establishment of African independent schools these schools enrolled African children only and they were taught their culture and evils of colonialism as a result later on they became political activists.

·         Provision of reformism education, by teaching the Africans that the missionaries were mere agents of colonialism and practicing discrimination in the church and its hierarchy following these missionaries was not fully evangelical as they preached thus reforms were inevitable.

·         The increase of awareness among the Africans due to various protest including active demonstrations, boycotts and strikes especially when colonial governments used force to avoid protest. For example the religious protest in the Nyasaland under Chilembwe when suppressed made the movements to be popular.

·         The religious movements and churches instructed Africans not to pay tax and not to be involved in the imperialist wars because Africans were not beneficiaries of these.