Religious explosion in media: a capture of the society of Botswana

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a phenomenal growth of religious activities in all communication media. This phenomenal and explosive development is seen in free satellite televisions broadcasts, free radio space even in national radio, public crusades and indoctrinating school services. An observer would worry about the fanaticisation of the nation through religion and the desecration of the Christian theology through miracle performances. There are now more churches in a locality than schools. Religion is now commercialised, and TV and radio programmes are becoming effective advertising agents for this commodity. If this phenomenon pleases the uncritical, it should worry social observers as this religious explosion can be the onset of social vicissitudes and cultural disintegration. Mainline churches have lost religious authority and have been put out of any role in guiding a managed religious spirituality. Traditional African religions are now an anathema. From a postcolonial theory and the social phenomenological interpretations, the paper argues that the religious explosion in our society will have nefarious consequences such as losing the fabric of culture, putting out of currency African beliefs, and evacuating Badimo from among Batswana. The antithesis of this condition is a society that has neither identity nor developmental direction.