Figure 1.-- This colonial postcard has a French caption reading: 'Eastern Africa - Mhonda - A Christian family.' Mhonda is in Tanzania, once Tanganyika. At the time, Tanganyika was a British colony. The postcard is undated, but the printed cloth suggests that the photograph was taken after the World War II, probably in the 1950s. We see a Christian family, clearly Catholic. The girl has a rosary at the neck. The father wears a jacket, trousers and fez: perhaps he had served in the army. According to the modesty ideas learned from the missionaries, the mother wrapped the cloth civering her breast and also the girl has a dress-like wrap. he mother is covering the young boy, who probably was naked.

About a third of Tanzanians identify as Christian, split between Catholics and Protestants. Some sources suggest a larger number, but this may reflect the often loose religious identity of many Tanzanians, not uncommon in Sub-Saharan Africa. Roman Catholics arrived in Tanzania and other African countries first. The Catholic Portuguese were the the first to reach Tanzania, after Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope (1499). The Portuguese had no real interst in colonizing Tanzania at the time. This was the same pattern along the Atlantic African coast as the Portuguese moved south toward the Cape of Good Hope. They and the Spanish who followed them, were content to establish coastal trading posts. (This was different than the policies pursued by the Spanish Conquistadores in the New World.) There was no real effort to convert the population beyond the trading posts. This did not change until the 19th century. And it occurred as a result of two primary developments. The first development was the Abolitionist Movement in the the Christian world. (There was no abolitionist movemennt in the Arab or wider Muslim world). The second development was that the Europeans began to colonize sub-Saharan Africa -- the Scramble for Africa. The colonia power in what is now Tanzanai (but did not include Zanzibar) was Germany. And with colonzation, missionaries followed. Almosr all of the conversion of Tanzanians occurred during the colonial era. Germany was a multi-denominational country, with substanial Catholic and Protestant populatioms, although at the time the Protrstant populatiin was dominant. The first Catholic missionaries were the Holy Ghost Fathers, the Benedictine Monks, and the White Fathers. They not only preached, but trained locals to be catechists who greatly expanded the evangelical effort. Catholics today comprise the majority of the Cghristian population, outnumbering Protestants. Protestant missionaries arrived in the 19th Century along with the Catholic missionaries. They included the Augustana Lutheran Mission, Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Moravian Mission. There was a lively competition between Protestant and Catholic missiinarie not only in Tanzania, but throughout Africa. The German colonial authorities to minimize the possibly destabiling comptition assigned specific areas to the different missionary groups. Of course the Protestants were themselves divided. Today, the main Protestant groups in Tanzania include Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, Pentecostals, and Adventists. Protestants today constitute a little more than 25 percent of the Christian population. Christian missionaries appeared in the mid-19th century, but expanded significantly with German colonization. Catholic and Protestant missionaries not only preached, but played an important role in developing Tanzanian soiciety by building schools, hospitals, and social halls. The British see control of what is now Tanzania as a result of World War I (1914-18). This did not significantly change the religious make up of the country as Britain generally followed the principle of relgious freedom. The regional policies of German colonial rule was abandoned.

Prevalence

About a third of Tanzanians identify as Christian, split between Catholics and Protestants. Sone sources suggest a larger number, but this may reflect the often loose rligious idntity of many Tanzanians, not uncommon in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Early Period (16th-18th centuries)

Roman Catholics arrived in Tanzania and other African countries first. The Catholic Portuguese were the the first to reach Tanzania, after Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope (1499). The Portuguese had no real interst in colonizing Tanzania at the time. This was the same pattern along the Atlantic African coast as the Portuguese moved south toward the Cape of Good Hope. They and the Spanish who followed them, were content to establish coastal trading posts. (This was different than the policies pursued by the Spanish Conquistadores in the New World.) There was no real effort to convert the population beyond the trading posts.

Fundamental Change

This trading post system did not change until the 19th century. And it occurred as a result of two primary developments. The first development was the Abolitionist Movement in the the Christian world. (There was no abolitionist movemennt in the Arab or wider Muslim world). The second development was that the Europeans began to colonize sub-Saharan Africa -- the Scramble for Africa.

Colonial Era (1830-1961)

The initial colonia power in what is now Tanzanai (not including Zanzibar) was Germany. And with colonzation, missionaries followed. Almosr all of the conversion of Tanzanians occurred during the colonial era. Germany was a multi-denominational country, with substanial Catholic and Protestant populatioms, although at the time the Protrstant populatiin was dominant. The first Catholic missionaries were the Holy Ghost Fathers, the Benedictine Monks, and the White Fathers. They not only preached, but trained locals to be catechists who greatly expanded the evangelical effort. Catholics today comprise the majority of the Cghristian population, outnumbering Protestants. Protestant missionaries arrived in the 19th Century along with the Catholic missionaries. They included the Augustana Lutheran Mission, Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Moravian Mission. There was a lively competition between Protestant and Catholic missiinarie not only in Tanzania, but throughout Africa. The German colonial authorities to minimize the possibly destabiling comptition assigned specific areas to the different missionary groups. Of course the Protestants were themselves divided. Today, the main Protestant groups in Tanzania include Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, Pentecostals, and Adventists. Protestants today constitute a little more than 25 percent of the Christian population. Christian missionaries appeared in the mid-19th century, but expanded significantly with German colonization. Catholic and Protestant missionaries not only preached, but played an important role in developing Tanzanian soiciety by building schools, hospitals, and social halls. The British seized control of what is now Tanzania as a result of World War I (1914-18). This did not significantly change the religious make up of the country as Britain generally followed the principle of relgious freedom. The regional policies of German colonial rule was abandoned.

Independent Tanzania (1961- )

We have noted some contradictory infornmation about Tanzanian Christianity and religion. This may be a result of loose or fluid religious identity. It also may reflect political issues an religion is a factor un how people vote. Many sources suggest a relatively even split between Christianity and Islam. Religious afinity is a politically charged issue throughout Africa, including Tanzanuia because religion affects, but unlike majority Muskim contriesm, does not dominate voting patterns. And the rise of Islamic terror has increased tension, even in Tanzania that has a history of relatively peaceful coexistance between religious communities. This is a heritage of the German-British colonial era. here is not a lot of haerd data on the religious breakdown of the population. One actual survey reorted thatr Chruistianity was the dominabt religion -- over 60 percent of the population. 【Pew, p. 22.】 A study taken at about the same time suggests the same Christian majority and a relatively even split between Catholics and Protetrants. 【WFDD】 Here Pew and WFDD differ somewghat. There were alsop small numbers of Orthodox and smaller Christian churches, aelction of the level of religuious freedom in the country. Other sources we have seen suggested that Cathoklics were a strong majority. While mainland Tanzania has a vibrant Christuian community, Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim. Chrisians are concerned about Tanzania's tradituion of racial diversity and toleration. Thethreat seems to be coming oprumarily from Muslims. Muslim extremists burned down three churches and issued threats to the area's Christians (2015). 【Smith】 This was not part of a widespread effort. There is some indication that there has been some Muslims converting to Christianity--somethingh like 180,000 believers. 【Johnstone and Duane】 This is not a huge njumber, but notabke. While this may not see partiucularly notavke to Western readees, it is a very sensitive issue among Muslims abd cindemned by the Koran. We do not know to what extebnt Chrstians have converted to Islam. Since Tanzania's independence, a convention developed that the country would be been governed by alternating Christian and Muslim Presidents who have appointed a Prime Minister from the other religious group. This convention hass been followed by Parliament. Populist President John Magufuli duied uneopectedly. 【Odula and Muhumuza】 Vice President Samia Hassan assumed the presidency, but broke with tradition. Hassan, who is a Muslim, decided to keep n the then-sitting Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, who is also Muslim.

Sources

Johnstone, Patrick and Duane A. Miller. (2015). "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census," IJRRVol. 11, No. 14. (2015).

Odula, Tom and Rodney Muhumuza. "Tanzania’s populist President John Magufuli has died at 61," AP Feed (March 17, 2021).

Pew Research Center. Global Religious Diversity (Pew Research Center: 2014). While this is now a decade old, religious afilitaions do not chabnge rapidly over time. Pew reported the following: Christian (61.4 percent), Muslkim (35.2 percent), tradutuional African (1.8 percent), unaffiliated (1.4 percent), and Hindu (0.1 percent). This is interesting for several reasons. First the high Christian percentage. Second the virtyually non-existent unaffiliated resomse. Third, the the very low Hindu percentage given Tanzania's proximity of India. And notabky, the Hindu percentage uis vuirtually all immigrants and vutrtully no Africans. They were peoople who arrived durung the British Raj.

Smith, Samuel. "Muslim radicals set churches on fire, Threaten to eradicate Christianity in Tanzania," CP World (September 29, 2015).

World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD). Faith and Development in Tanzania (2019).

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Created: 12:36 AM 7/21/2023
Last updated: 5:55 PM 7/21/2023