Chad is full of diversity! There are so many different languages and people groups, which means there are also a variety of religions. Many different people have been migrating to Chad and the surrounding areas throughout the history of the country. This migration has influenced the culture, and specifically religion, in Chad. The three main religions within the country of Chad, however, are Christianity, Islam, and a mix of African religions. The main religion, however, is Islam. The Christian population is either Roman Catholic or Protestant. Britannica states that about three fifths of the population of Chad practice Islam, one third practice a kind of African religion, and the last one third are Christian. The county itself does not recognize any religion as the religion of the country.
Much of the Muslim population lives in northern or eastern Chad. Most of the larger cities represent a variety of religions, but Islam is most prominent where Arab population lives. [1] It is believed that the populations that migrated to Chad from Sudan and Nigeria were the ones that brought Islam to the country.[2] Islam made its way to the country of Chad before the Europeans migrated there with Christianity.
The local African religious views can be seen through the myths of the area. Many of the myths involve two characters named Loa and Sou. There are two very different characters and the stories surrounding these two characters explain a variety of topics, such as creation, start of mankind, and the making of animals. These stories are important to note because it is reflective of how the native African people view different aspects of life through their religious lens. These African religions do create some unity within the tribes because most of the religions have similar bases and understanding.
It is interesting to note that Britannica mentions that the Christian mission has not influenced and infiltrated to Muslim population in Chad.[3] The Christian missionaries have only been in Chad for about a century.[4] The Muslim population still out weighs the Christian influence. The Christian mission, however, has had a little bit of an impact with the native African religions. This population is the one that is most likely to convert to Christianity. Most of the Christian population is located in the southern part of the country, and a majority of these people practice Roman Catholicism.[5]
Work Cited
“Chad – Religion | History – Geography.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed February 06, 2016. http://www.britannica.com/place/Chad/Religion.
“Chad – Religions.” Religions. Accessed February 06, 2016. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Chad-RELIGIONS.html.
[1] “Chad – Religion | History – Geography.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online
[2] “Chad – Religions.”
[3] Ibid
[4] “Chad – Religions.”
[5] Ibid
countryofchad 