Struggles and strides : religion and politics in the evolution of church related universities in Zimbabwe - the case of Africa University

Abstract

This paper examines the emergence of church-related university institutions in Zimbabwe, with specific reference to Africa University of the United Methodist Church, as a significant development which testifies to the innovativeness of churches in response to social and political trends. That, historically, education was an essential part of Christian missions, inasmuch as it was considered indispensable by colonial authorities, is axiomatic. Taking this background into account, this paper attempts to tease out the dynamics of the interaction between churches and the state. As churches sought to expand their mission priorities by establishing universities, they had to contend with a plethora of interested entities. The political factor was crucial in the new developments because of the government’s perceived need to maintain its hegemony, and so consideration of the new phenomenon went beyond the enactment of appropriate legal instruments. The emergence of church-related universities in Zimbabwe facilitates extension of the discourse on church and state which has largely been confined to politics, and exposes new dimensions in the relationship.