Religion in Namibia

Although Namibia has a secular, non-denominational government, the country itself has a diverse set of prevailing religions-- a result of their colonial past and of their tribal diversity. After learning briefly about their religious practices in my recent presentation, I was curious to explore more about this cultural element, especially in how it may relate to intergroup tensions or governance.

Because of the multitude of Christian missionaries that came to Namibia from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, there is a 90% Christian population. Approximately 50% of these Christians are Lutheran, the largest Christian group, while the second largest Christian population in Namibia are the Roman Catholics. The larger Lutheran population results directly from German and Finnish influence during Namibia’s early colonial period. Finnish Evangelical missionaries in the 1870s targeted the Ovambo people as their religious obligation and project; they managed to effectively convert essentially the entire Ovambo nation, overriding the group’s traditional culture in favor of Christianity.

Today, Namibia allows for religious freedom as written in their constitution (adopted at their independence in March of 1990). There are multiple groups living in religious plurality, and there is currently a growing population of Muslims in the country. Although there was an estimated 5,000 Muslims in Namibia in 2009, by 2011 they estimated approximately 11,000 Muslims in population and seven mosques across the country. The largest percentage of Muslim Namibians identify as part of the Namaqua ethnic group.

This is a really interesting topic because it combines both indigenous cultures with that of German colonial culture. Colonialism had a clear impact on religious practice, often through force, and seemed to have an erasure effect on the tribes especially exposed to colonial religious goals. It brings to question how much of the culture of other tribes was preserved through this time, especially in those tribes who interacted less with colonists. Do they live in plurality with the religious remnants of Namibia's colonial past?

~ Elizabeth

http://www.namibian.org/travel/info/religion.html

http://www.studycountry.com/guide/NA-religion.htm

https://www.newera.com.na/2007/06/08/religion-and-the-namibian-secular-state/