Studying Religions in Africa Single or Multiple Traditions

Abstract

The examination of a single religious tradition and the exploration of the plurality of lived practice provide two broad approaches to the study of religion in Africa. The article discusses each of these units of analysis by introducing two scholarly trends emerging in twenty-first century scholarship: the Anthropology of Christianity and the Plurality of Religion. It discusses the historical background to these trends in the contested definitions of ‘religion’ emerging in the twentieth century. It shows how the trends have been developed and discusses their usefulness in the author’s own work. The article demonstrates that the definition of ‘religion’ matters and the unit of analysis influences the research trajectory and the findings. Researchers are encouraged to consider whether their subjects conform to or challenge their working definitions. The article concludes by asking for reflections on these trends by African scholars and looking forward to further discussions on approaches to the study of religion from insider perspectives.