The palace, the parish and the power : church-state relations in Rwanda and the genocide

Abstract

This article describes the church and state relations in Rwanda and their impact on the genocide. Drawing on interviews conducted with three Rwandan theological students, it argues that the ambiguous role played by the church in the Rwandan genocide was a result of the lack of a clear and balanced model of church and state relations at the time. The article observes that the Rwandan church’s tendency to side with the state, as a way of finding security and power to achieve its missionary goals determined the church’s response to the genocide. It argues that being trapped by ambitions for power and security the church got into a series of promiscuous relationships with the state, Tutsis and Hutus that ultimately corrupted its vision and mission. Drawing on interviews1 and literature the article concludes that the role of the church in Rwanda during the genocide was a culmination of a lack of a clear and informed model of relating to the state. It draws lessons that can be learned by other African churches in other countries on how they can relate to their governments without losing their integrity.