Ashura Jackson

This research is a historical analysis of how socio-economic and political dynamics influenced the development of African Independent Churches in Mbeya Region, Tanzania, 1920s-1985. The goal is to assess how the changing socio-economic and political dynamics influenced the emergence, development and persistence of African Independent Churches in Mbeya from the 1920s to 1985. The study relies on evidences drawn from written archives documents and in-depth interviews. From a scrutiny of these data, the study establishes that specific economical, social and political contexts facilitated the emergence and development of AICs. Therefore, there was a relationship between, on one hand, the human beings’ socio-economic and political undertakings and the emergence of AICs. The significance of this study lies in uncovering the material basis of AICs in Tanzania by documenting the interplay between AICs and socio-economic and political changes. The study also highlights the importance of AICs in opening up and expanding the opportunities for freedom of worship in Tanzania starting from the 1920s.