Abstract:
Zimbabwe is a home to a plethora of religious traditions such as African Traditional Religions,
Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Bahai Faith and Rastafari Faith. In postcolonial
Zimbabwe, the government promoted freedom of worship and a multi-faith approach. In general, the
western missionary colonial historiography has enabled Christianity to remain a dominant religious
tradition in all spheres of life. Notably, Christianity claims to have a large following of up to
approximately 80% of the population in Zimbabwe. In principle, a long standing campaign from the
Christian fraternity to declare Zimbabwe a Christian state in recent years was unsuccessful.
Paradoxically, in practice, the state largely utilises Christianity at state functions in political, social,
economic, legal and religious spectrums. This double-edged scenario greatly influences the religious
experience at institutions of higher learning such as Great Zimbabwe University (GZU). This paper
focuses on the impact of the Inter-denominational Sunday services at GZU, a cosmopolitan
community whose niche is to be the centre of excellence in creative arts, culture and technology.
Evidently, belonging to a non-Christian religion attracts stigma at GZU. It is further argued that it is a
misconception to regard both students and staff of GZU as solely Christians, something that triggers
the question: ‘where are the ancestors?’ By utilising interviews, questionnaires and participant
observation to gather data, the study established that GZU’s Inter-denominational sermons and
procedures tend to pursue a colonial legacy that elevates Christianity but militates against
multiculturalism that would propel its niche. It is our conviction that the University urgently needs to
transform its strategy on spiritual and moral development of students and staff to sustain religious
pluralism and social identity in Zimbabwe.
