Evolution of the Concept of a Christian Nation in the Zambian Society

The article examines the concept of “Christian nation” in Zambia. The Christian Nation project attracted the attention of many African, Western, and Russian researchers. However, most of their research focuses on the ways religious rhetoric was used in the election campaigns or analyzes to which degree the declared “Christian nation” corresponds to Zambian reality. This article provides a different perspective and explores the evolution of the concept of a Christian nation, which had emerged first as a passing idea used for political purposes and then transformed into a stand-alone concept that was evolving independently even after its author, F. Chiluba, retired from the political arena in 2002 and then passed away in 2011. At the new stage, this concept itself sets the tone for the political discourse and shapes the political reality around itself, up to the establishment of a separate government department. Unlike most works published on this topic, this paper analyzes the essence of the concept, or, to be more precise, the perception of the concept on different levels: as a basis for combating corruption and protecting human rights at the level of the official government documents; as a guarantor of the peaceful development for the Zambians; as a political declaration for the clergy. At the present moment, the “Christian nation” concept can be likened to a distant guiding light, something coveted but unattainable. It has not received a universally recognized unified definition in Zambia, which is not only its weakness but also its strength, since everyone is able to fill it with their own meanings.