Christianity and economic status in Western Kenya from Weberian and Marxian perspectives

Abstract

Religion is deemed to be an important structure within the societal setup, as it influences human behaviour, social interactions and economic practices. Christianity, a religion that is one of the largest in the world in population, has throughout history shaped the perception of and approach to work, wealth creation, poverty and by extension, social responsibility. The main objective of this study was to assess the extent to which Christianity relates to economic empowerment or economic vulnerability among Christians in Western Kenya using Weberian and Marxian theoretical perspectives. The study was guided by Wealth, Marxian & Weberian theory, which discuss the role of religion in economic development. The study was anchored on a qualitative descriptive design. The research was conducted in four Counties of Western Kenya: Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, and Vihiga.  The study targeted 4065 church members, which included members and their clerics. A total sample of 408 respondents (384 members & 24 clerics) who took part in the study. Data collection was conducted through Focus Group Discussions for members and Interviews for clerics. Qualitative data was analysed thematically through the identification of patterns and themes that were recurrent. Findings established that there is a distinct economic asymmetry between church members and clerics across various indicators such as education level, income level, assets owned and livelihood standards. Findings further reveal that development aspects vary across denominational affiliations, with mainline churches such as the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church doing very well in this area compared to African Initiated Churches, which struggle with the identity of their assignment. Finally, findings support that Weberian thoughts are ideal on enhancing economic status through education, hard work, discipline, thrift and economic responsibility. However, the difference between the clerics and the members demonstrates Marxian thought on class structures, as clerics seem to enjoy greater economic balance than members overall. The study recommends that, to bridge the gap between spirituality and economic reality, churches within the study region should establish transparent, formalized economic empowerment initiatives. Such initiatives can include: audited micro-finance funds, vocational training, and agricultural support to systematically uplift vulnerable congregants instead of relying on informal fundraising techniques.