Problems and Prospects of Developing Covenantal Pluralism in Zambia, a “Christian Nation”

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of covenantal pluralism in Zambia: Is it possible to develop a new approach for living together in a country with both religious and ethnic differences? Theoretically, it seems likely that Zambian citizens would likely benefit from expanding covenantal pluralism. However, while the paper discovers empirical evidence of popular support for key conditions and propositions of covenantal pluralism, progress seems slow. The paper uncovers little evidence that Zambia’s government diligently pursues covenantal pluralism, arguably because it might undermine a key source of governmental legitimacy—Zambia as a “Christian nation.”