Christianity and politics in Doe's Liberia

Book Description

Paul Gifford presents a penetrating examination of how religious faith intersected with political power during one of Liberia's most turbulent periods. This comprehensive study explores the complex relationship between Christianity and governance under Samuel K. Doe's regime from 1980 to 1990, revealing how spiritual institutions responded to corruption and oppression.

The author meticulously analyzes every strand of Liberian Christianity, from established denominations to emerging Pentecostal movements and independent congregations. Through this lens, readers discover how different theological approaches shaped believers' responses to social injustice. Some churches retreated into passive acceptance, teaching that earthly suffering was divinely ordained. Others embraced prosperity theology, believing divine intervention would naturally correct societal problems without human action.

Gifford uncovers a troubling pattern where American missionary influence shaped Liberian religious thought in ways that inadvertently supported political interests. The study reveals how imported theological frameworks sometimes discouraged believers from engaging with pressing social issues, instead promoting withdrawal from worldly concerns or attributing systemic problems to supernatural forces.

This groundbreaking analysis offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to understand how spiritual beliefs can either challenge or inadvertently support unjust systems. The book serves as both a historical examination and a thoughtful reflection on the responsibility of faith communities in times of crisis. Gifford's focused approach to this small West African nation illuminates broader patterns of religious and political interaction across the African continent.