Religion and Social Change: a Social Historical and Developmental Study of the Catholic Church in Busia District, Kenya 1924 - 1985

The role of Religion in community development cannot be over emphasized. Throughout history the Catholic Church has participated in and initiated social change in various communities. Evangelization cannot occur occur without initiation of justice and peace. True justice must inculcate the traditional practices of the indigenous people. This is according to the understanding of the church against the backdrop of contemporary African social-economic,cultural,religious and political realities. This book therefore, uniquely explores the contribution of the Catholic Church to social change. The study was based on the Biblical principle that a Christian should have concern for the needy and under-privileged as a sign of Jesus Christ's mission (Luke7:22). This explains why the Catholic Church has been at the forefront not only to revitalize humanity's spiritually but also to initiate development actions. These activities are aimed at creating sustainable solutions to the problems that challenge a community's livelihood based on the mandate of its own social teachings. The book targets undergraduate and postgraduate students,theologians,anthropologists,historians and policymakers.