Ethiopia: Religion, Power and Politics - What's Behind the Violent Attacks On Ethiopia's Orthodox Tewahedo Church

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, established over 1,600 years ago, has historically influenced Ethiopia's political landscape, education systems, and cultural identity. After the 1974 revolution, the Communist Derg regime dismantled the church's status as the official state religion and confiscated its properties, leading to a decline in its influence.

Since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018, there has been a noticeable rise in hostility towards the Orthodox church. This hostility manifests in verbal and physical attacks on churches, monasteries, clergy, and worshippers, as documented by human rights groups, religious institutions, international observers, and scholars.

My research reveals that the church's attacks stem from the dissemination of hostile historical narratives by political elites, activists, and media figures. These narratives downplay the church's contributions to Ethiopian literacy, architecture, and sovereignty, and focus on its alleged role in seizing land and power in southern regions. By stripping the church of its legitimacy, these narratives make attacking its buildings and followers appear justified or politically necessary.

The negative portrayal of the Orthodox church as a symbol of domination, exclusion, or ethnic privilege has gained traction in influential political and intellectual narratives. Over the past five decades, these portrayals have circulated through political speeches, traditional media, and social media. The church has been depicted as an instrument of imperial state expansion and cultural domination, particularly associated with Amhara identity and the spread of Christianity, Amharic language, and imperial political authority in newly incorporated areas.

These negative narratives about the church's history, while often distorted or selective, overlook its contributions to Ethiopian society. By marginalizing these aspects of the church's historical experience and contributions, these representations can be seen as a form of epistemic violence. This can make physical violence seem acceptable, justifiable, or unremarkable.

Another significant discovery from my research is the increasing conflation of ethnic and religious identities in contemporary Ethiopia. The Orthodox church is often depicted as a religion of certain ethnic groups, rather than a multi-ethnic one. This matters because ethnicity has become a major part of political identity in Ethiopia, making the link between religion and particular ethnic groups politically charged.

Tying religious institutions to ethnic contests risks linking them to wider identity and power struggles, as seen in the 2023 Oromia region dispute over Afaan Oromo usage and church leadership representation.

Despite its complexities, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has faced governance challenges, leadership divisions, and struggles over representation and authority.