| Sumario: | This review essay examines the evolving landscape of religious nationalism in twentieth- and twenty-first-century Africa, focusing on Christian nationalism in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Ghana, alongside the broader context of Black nationalism in the African diaspora. It highlights how African religious nationalisms often intertwine indigenous Christianities, Pentecostalism, and political agendas, differing from Western models by emphasizing identity, religious plurality, and civil-religious nationalism rather than ethnic supremacism. Key studies discussed include the Dutch Reformed Church’s racially charged Christian nationalism during apartheid South Africa, the instrumental use of African Independent Churches in Zimbabwe’s political sphere, and contrasting perspectives on Christian nationalism’s role in Ghanaian democracy and governance. The essay also situates Black nationalism as a transnational, race-centered movement with religious dimensions that influence Pan-African identity, underscoring the need for nuanced distinctions among religious nationalism, civil religion, and secular nationalism in African contexts.
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