Africa

Social Impact of Religious Worldviews

Because for many Africans, the sacred is imbued in everyday life, fiscal concerns, emotional well-being, spiritual developments, and material realities are not just interconnected but dependent on one another. As conversions to Christianity rapidly expand in West, Central, and South Africa and Islam continues to have a stronghold on many North, West, and East African countries, the ways in which these religious traditions are embraced, interpreted, and practiced within Africa society must be recognized as filtered through lenses that generally honor the fusion between material manifestations and spiritual realities. Because of this holistic interrelationship between the invisible and visible worlds, religious traditions often become integrated with farming practices, market vending, trade relationships, family units, social ceremonies, and daily functions.

Understanding this vital connection forces the impact of religious traditions to be placed on the same ideological table as the impact of global factors on Africa's economy. It becomes relevant to examine not only the philosophies of religious traditions across Africa but also global factors that shape day-to-day realities and decision-making processes: globalization and technology, historical factors such as slavery and colonization, government and economy, education, health, environmental factors, migration patterns, and social concerns.

Colony, Government, Economy

Africa's most recent postcolonial development, and, in turn, its place within the economic world order and global market, has been affected by several key historical factors: slavery, colonization, and the formation of nations and governments.