Christian Theological Education and the Response to the Crisis in Zimbabwe

The book offers an incisive examination of the governing philosophy of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), referred to as Zanupfism, characterizing it as marked by callousness and malevolence towards dissenting voices from civil society and opposition factions. This pernicious application of power extends beyond mere verbal aggression to encompass militaristic actions, engendering a profound generational crisis within Zimbabwe. The contributors explore the compelling juxtaposition between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the biblical Nebuchadnezzar II, a ruler notorious for his autocratic reign and expansive ambitions. Further, critically scrutinizing the complicity of neo-Pentecostal prophets in the book reveals how these religious figures promote an esoteric understanding of the divine, diverging from a theology rooted in justice, thereby enabling the oppressive regime's practices. This critique underscores the imperative for prophets to recalibrate their theological perspectives, urging them to move beyond magical interpretations of faith toward an authentic engagement with a personal God who champions justice. The book further encompasses the complex interplay of political and religious narratives, examining how church leaders either bolster or undermine Mnangagwa’s political ideology, highlighting the tendency among certain religious factions to deify political authority, ultimately exacerbating societal inequities. In advocating for a transformative theological discourse in Zimbabwe, the book asserts that religious narratives must serve as instruments for fostering democracy, social justice, and equity, rather than sustaining a status quo that entrenches authoritarian governance. The necessity for unified, principled resistance, grounded in the collective agency of the populace, emerges as a salient theme in the quest for meaningful political and social reform.

Bekithemba Dube is full Professor in Curriculum Studies and a Director for the Centre for Diversity in Higher Education at Central University of Technology.

Gift Masengwe is Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Religion Studies, University of Free State, and a Research Fellow at Zimbabwe Open University.