Citation: Zgambo, Timalizge. 2024. The Politics of Christianity in Shaping the Political Dynamics of Zambia. Religions 15: 1379. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/rel15111379 Academic Editor: Bernard James Mauser Received: 25 August 2024 Revised: 21 October 2024 Accepted: 6 November 2024 Published: 13 November 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). Review The Politics of Christianity in Shaping the Political Dynamics of Zambia Timalizge Zgambo Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction Unit, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa; tzgambo@uwc.ac.za Abstract: Religion can often be very influential in the political system and political actors frequently take advantage of the leverage that it provides. In the Zambian case, Christianity in particular plays a crucial role in politics and policymaking, dating from the pre- to post-colonial era. Around 1880, Zambia, then Northern Rhodesia, became a British colony and, at the same time, Christianity was introduced within the context of the European culture. Later, 27 years after independence, Zambia was declared a Christian nation, and all Zambian political leaders have embraced Christianity as the nation’s identity. Thus, Christianity plays a critical function in Zambia’s political sphere. The main aim of this paper is to critically examine how Christianity seeks to direct the political agenda in Zambia’s national politics. It demonstrates the interplay between church and state relations linked to how the state seeks to govern the nation in a Godly manner and the implications on public policymaking in Zambia. This paper explores a multifaceted analysis of the existing literature and the ideas around the politics of the state and religion. It argues that (i) Christianity in Zambia is often used as a political weapon to gain political mileage and (ii) Christianity as a religion has been traditionalised in Zambia. It serves as a “national moral campus”, which compromises the nation’s position as a so-called “democratic” state and suppresses individual freedoms. Thus, it corrupts the very nature of fundamental practices of the religion itself, as it has simply blossomed into more of a norm than a religion. Understanding these dynamics is very crucial, especially in the context of how religion is perceived, experienced and exercised in the political arena to circumvent limited policy options for broader problem solving. Keywords: Christianity; religion; politics; Zambia 1. Introduction When Zambia was declared a Christian nation, it entered into a covenant with God Almighty. There is special grace upon the nation of Zambia and the leader- ship of this nation. God has promised us that He will guide us in the way this nation should be governed. I thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for being sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who talked to him. Thereafter, the President decided to come up with a day when the people of Zambia, who belong to God, would gather to thank their maker and bring their supplications before him. So, the wisdom came from God, and it is all because we have a President who is attuned to the Spirit of God. (National Assembly of Zambia 2020) These words were spoken by Reverend Godfreda Sumaili, the Minister of the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs (MNGR) at the time when the Patriot Front (PF) took office under Edgar Lungu’s presidency in 2016. This was the first time such a ministry 1 had been established in government, followed by a national day of prayer, which was introduced as a public holiday to be commemorated on 16 October. Although the MNGR was abolished in 2021 under the United Party for National Development (UNDP) government, it plays a significant role in appreciating the politics of Christianity in Zambian public policymaking. Religions 2024, 15, 1379. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111379 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions