Kate Baldwin Explains Why Christianity Fights for Democracy in Africa

The group of people who have an interest in defending liberal democracy might be broader than many academics, and maybe even liberals, would have shown. Kate Baldwin This episode features Yale political scientist Kate Baldwin in a conversation about her book Faith in Democracy , which challenges the assumption that religion is inherently hostile to democratic governance. Drawing on research from sub-Saharan Africa, Baldwin explains how Christian churches have often emerged as defenders of liberal democracy – not because of ideological commitments, but because democratic institutions protect church autonomy and social service work from state overreach. The conversation explores when and why churches mobilize against democratic backsliding, how institutional incentives shape political behavior, and what this reveals about the broader coalition of actors invested in sustaining democracy. The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Read the full transcript here . Key Highlights Introduction - 0:20 Why Churches Defend Democracy - 3:20 Role of Education - 14:09 Why Churches Choose Autocracy - 20:09 Leadership - 27:00 Links Learn more about Kate Baldwin . Learn more about her book Faith in Democracy: The Logic of Church Advocacy for Liberal Democratic Institutions in Africa . Check out " Democracy's Devout Defenders " in the Journal of Democracy . Learn more about the Kellogg Institute . Apes of the State created all Music Support the show

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Kate Baldwin Explains Why Christianity Fights for Democracy in Africa is an episode from Democracy Paradox by Justin Kempf.

This episode is 37:33 long.

This episode was published on Jan 21, 2026.

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