Religion, Peace, and Development in Africa

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

One of the factors that strike many about the African continent generally is the role that religion seems to play in all spheres of life. Africa thus remains a religiously diverse and dynamic continent, where not only Catholicism, Christianity in general, Islam, and African indigenous traditions are at home. While this is the case, on the political and economic front, things do not seem to be so positive. Political instability, civil wars, poverty, and increasingly ecological degradation are ever growing challenges. How do we understand and account for this apparent contradiction between a culturally and religiously rich continent and an economically and politically distressed continent? What role does religion, Christianity in particular play in development? The course engages these and similar questions through a 3 week immersive cultural, international and educational experience in Uganda. The overall objectives of the course are: To provide students with an opportunity to learn about Uganda's cultural, religious and political history - as an introduction to the broader trends that shape history in sub-Saharan Africa. Offer students with an immersive experience into the natural, cultural and social dimensions of African life To provide students with an opportunity for community engagement as a way to deepen their understanding of the challenges and possibilities of peace and development in a Ugandan rural setting.