Democracy Paradox Podcast
About the Episode:

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.

Full Transcript


Show Notes:

In this episode of The Democracy Paradox, host Justin Kempf speaks with Kate Baldwin, Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University and author of Faith in Democracy: The Logic of Church Advocacy for Liberal Democratic Institutions in Africa.(Cambridge University Press, 2025). The conversation opens by challenging the dominant narrative that religion is inherently hostile to democracy. While acknowledging real cases where religion has been used to undermine democratic norms, the episode highlights Baldwin’s research showing that religious institutions – particularly Christian churches in sub-Saharan Africa – have often been among democracy’s most consistent defenders.

Baldwin explains that churches support democracy not primarily because of liberal ideology or theology, but because liberal democratic institutions protect church autonomy. When churches are deeply involved in social services such as education and healthcare, they face greater risk of state interference or nationalization under authoritarian rule. Liberal democracy, with its checks on executive power, independent courts, and multiple access points to policymaking, offers churches a way to safeguard their institutional interests while continuing their core religious missions.

The discussion explores why this dynamic is especially pronounced in Africa, where churches tend to lack reliable political party allies and operate in highly pluralistic religious environments. Baldwin contrasts cases where churches have actively mobilized against democratic backsliding – such as in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – with cases where churches remained relatively silent when their institutional incentives were weaker. Throughout, she emphasizes that it is institutional structure and risk exposure, more than charismatic leadership or grassroots pressure, that explains when churches speak out.

The episode concludes with a broader reflection on what this research reveals about democracy itself. Baldwin argues that the coalition of actors with a stake in defending liberal democracy may be wider than often assumed, even including groups that hold illiberal views on certain policy issues. By focusing on institutions rather than ideology, the conversation underscores how democracy can endure when multiple independent centers of power – religious institutions among them – have strong incentives to resist authoritarian overreach.

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