Friends of Malawi: Learn About Malawi: About Malawian Culture

Christianity is the majority religion in Malawi . Sixty percent of Christians are Protestant and 15% are Catholic. Other sects include Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, Anglicans, Church of Central African Presbyterians (commonly called CCAP), and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses have had a particularly hard time proselytizing in Malawi . The first Jehovah’s Witness missionary was forced out of Malawi in the 1910’s, but the religion took hold anyway. President Banda did not approve of Jehovah’s Witnesses, so he outlawed the religion. President Muluzi made it legal again in 1995, and it has flourished since.

Christianity has a huge presence in Malawi . Until 2001, Bible Knowledge was a required subject for all Malawian secondary school students—it has since been replaced with a Religious Education curriculum that includes other world religions. Christianity was first introduced to Malawians by David Livingstone and other missionaries who worked along the lakeshore in the late 1800’s. Christianity spread rapidly under British colonialism despite an initially hostile welcome. Now most villages have a mission or an extension of some Christian sect. Some of the missions provide vocational training, schools, or hospitals at cost for the local community. Services are in the local language in all areas and areas with large populations of whites/expatriates may offer services in English. Although Christianity has had a number of positive influences on Malawi (i.e. education and provision of health care institutions), it has not been without cost. In many cases Christianity considers traditional beliefs and ways of living to be incompatible or inferior, and as a result, these cultural values have dwindled, if not disappeared altogether.

Which is not to say that traditional beliefs do not have a place in contemporary Malawian spiritual life. Despite a strong mission presence in Malawi ’s history and society, the Christianity that Malawians practice does not completely conform to a Western model. For many Malawians, Western Christian beliefs are intertwined with traditional African practices and beliefs. For example, it is not uncommon to find men who consider themselves Christians, but have multiple wives or mistresses. In addition, many Malawian Christians consult traditional healers or even participate in the traditional beliefs of Gule Wamkulu. While these practices are not necessarily non-Christian, they are different from the traditional Anglo-Saxon variety of Christianity with which Americans are familiar.

The second most prominent religion in Malawi is Islam—Muslims make up 15-20% of the population. Islam was introduced by Arab slave traders who traveled largely by boat. They reached Malawi via the lake in the early 1800’s, and converted tribes along the lakeshore. The people of the Yao tribe along the southern lakeshore are most strongly associated with Islam. Almost every village in the areas of Balaka, Machinga, and Mangochi have a mosque. Many women in these areas wear veils that cover their heads, but not their faces, and some boys learn Arabic and Kiswahili to pursue study of the Koran.

Conflict between Christians and Muslims is rare in Malawi ; when it does erupt, as occurred in mid-2003, it is usually politically motivated. Political affiliation, religious persuasion, and tribal identity are closely bound together in Malawi , and mosques are one of the most visible elements of that identity. Outside of election time, relations between Christianity and Islam are quite calm. Malawians are generally tolerant of the three Old Testament religions, and tend to be more concerned about whether or not a person actively worships a god than what form that worship takes.

Indigenous beliefs and religions make up approximately 5% of the population, though they are rarely discussed, especially in Christian circles. Nonetheless, their influence is profound: nearly every market has a section or two for the local African doctor’s medicines, and Gule Wamkulu dancers are present at many funerals. Gule is an animistic religion common among the Chewa tribe in the central region. In Gule Wamkulu, the “big dance,” leading dancers are elaborately costumed in ragged cloths, animal skins and usually a mask, all of which are designed to project the spirit they embody while dancing. The dancers themselves form a secret society that follows stringent initiation practices and meets in cemeteries—a practice which sets them apart from ordinary Chewa. Generally, cemeteries are taboo for any purpose other than a funeral.