Christianity and Genocide in RwandaAlthough Rwanda is among the most Christian countries in Africa, in the 1994 genocide, church buildings became the primary killing grounds. To explain why so many Christians participated in the violence, this book looks at the history of Christian engagement in Rwanda and then turns to a rich body of original national and local-level research to argue that Rwanda's churches have consistently allied themselves with the state and played ethnic politics. Comparing two local Presbyterian parishes in Kibuye prior to the genocide demonstrates that progressive forces were seeking to democratize the churches. Just as Hutu politicians used the genocide of Tutsi to assert political power and crush democratic reform, church leaders supported the genocide to secure their own power. The fact that Christianity inspired some Rwandans to oppose the genocide demonstrates that opposition by the churches was possible and might have hindered the violence. |
Contents
Christianity | 33 |
The Churches and the Politics of Ethnicity | 58 |
Christian Churches | 82 |
Christian Churches | 117 |
Christian Churches | 161 |
Local Churches Empowerment | 240 |
Christian Involvement | 268 |
Churches and Accounting for Genocide | 303 |
Bibliography 375 | 337 |
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Abarokore activities administration Africa April attack authority began Belgian benefits Biguhu Birambo bishops burgomaster Burundi Butare Bwakira Catholic Church challenge Christian Church and Revolution church leaders churches in Rwanda civil society colonial conflict cooperatives created December 26 democracy democratic Dialogue economic elite ethnic fields first fled genocide Gikongoro Gisaka Gisenyi Gitarama groups helped human rights Human Rights Watch Hutu influence institutions Interahamwe Interview in Kirinda Kabasha Kabgayi Kayibanda Kibeho Kibuye Kigali killed Lemarchand letter Liberation Theology Linden and Linden massacres mission missionaries movement MRND Musinga Mwendo office ofthe organized parish PARMEHUTU participation pastors peasants political poor population prefecture Presbyterian president priests programs projects Protestant churches Prunier reform region religious Revolution in Rwanda Reyntjens role Ruhengeri Rutayisire Rwanda Crisis rwandaise Rwandan society SDRB Shyembe significant social sought structures tion Tutsi Twagirayesu violence White Fathers women’s youth