Culture Wars, Race, and Sexuality: A Nascent Pan-African LGBT-Affirming Christian Movement and the Future of Christianity

In order to challenge and decenter monolithic narratives about Christian-inspired homophobia in Africa, this article draws attention to Christian countermobilizations that seek to affirm the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Africa. It focuses on the work of an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Africana religions 2017-01, Vol.5 (2), p.217-238
Main Author: Klinken, Adriaan Van
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
African Christianity
African culture
Christianity
Churches
Conservatism
Cultural politics
Gay communities
Gay rights movements
Homophobia
Homosexuality
Human rights
LGBT
Moral values
Pan-Africanism
Religious movements
Theology
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Summary:In order to challenge and decenter monolithic narratives about Christian-inspired homophobia in Africa, this article draws attention to Christian countermobilizations that seek to affirm the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Africa. It focuses on the work of an African American organization, The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM), to build a Pan-African LGBT-affirming Christian movement. TFAM presents its work as a response to the involvement of American white conservative evangelicals in the spread of homophobia in Africa. Where the latter has been framed as the export of American culture wars, this article discusses TFAM's work as an attempt to counterbalance the culture wars and to define the future of African Christianity in progressive ways. The article proceeds by discussing one of the fruits of TFAM's activities, an LGBT church in Nairobi, Kenya, and concludes by examining the overall significance and potential impact of TFAM's work.
ISSN:2165-5405
2165-5413
DOI:10.5325/jafrireli.5.2.0217