# Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin: Christian and Muslim Students Navigating Authoritarianism and Laïcité, 1970–2023

- **Type:** Book
- **Authors:** Frédérick Madore
- **Publisher:** De Gruyter
- **Place:** Berlin
- **Series:** ZMO-Studien 48
- **Date:** 2025
- **Pages:** 308
- **Language:** English
- **ISBN:** 978-3-11-142790-4
- **DOI:** [10.1515/9783111428895](https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111428895)
- **Open access:** Yes
- **Countries:** Benin, Togo
- **Project:** [Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin](https://www.frederickmadore.com/research/religious-activism-campuses-togo-benin.md)
- **Tags:** Religion, Education, Politics, Togo, Benin, Student Activism, University Campuses, Higher Education, Islam, Christianity, Authoritarianism, Secularism, West Africa
- **Web page:** https://www.frederickmadore.com/publications/religious-activism-campuses

## Reference

Frédérick Madore. (2025). Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin: Christian and Muslim Students Navigating Authoritarianism and Laïcité, 1970–2023. Berlin: De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111428895

## Abstract

Although religious organisations have coexisted with student unions at the Université de Lomé and the Université d'Abomey-Calavi since the 1970s, much of the literature has tended to focus on the role of student protests in triggering national conferences in Benin and Togo in the early 1990s, overlooking religion. Based on interviews with different generations of activists and the press in both countries, this book uncovers the neglected history of Christian and Muslim student associations on these campuses, originally strongholds of leftist, anti-imperialist and secular ideologies. It analyses the emergence of these associations under a one-party dictatorship in Togo and a Marxist-Leninist regime in Benin, and explores the implications of growing religiosity for these public universities as secular institutions.

The history of these associations reveals the campus as a microcosm reflecting wider national socio-political life, while also highlighting the importance of translocal factors in shaping the internal dynamics of these groups. Amidst the massification of university enrolments and rising graduate unemployment in recent decades, faith-based associations have come to offer more than religious guidance. Increasingly, they offer a "social curriculum", providing a space for socialisation and a set of skills, norms and moral values that complement the secular academic curriculum.

## Contents

1. Frontmatter
2. Contents
3. Acknowledgements
4. Timeline and Map
5. List of the Main Abbreviations and Acronyms
6. List of Figures
7. Preface
8. 1 Introduction
9. 2 The Advent of Military Regimes and the Creation of the First Public University in Togo and Benin (1970–80)
10. 3 Surviving in an Authoritarian Context: The First Faith-Based Student Associations on Campuses (1970s–80s)
11. 4 Faith-Based Activism in an Era of Democratisation and Campuses in Turmoil (1990s)
12. 5 Developing Leaders with Moral Values: Providing Entrepreneurial Skills Beyond the Academic Curriculum (2000–10s)
13. 6 The Becoming of Former Activists Beyond Campus: A New Religious Elite?
14. 7 ‘Too Young’, ‘Immature’, and not Committed Enough: The Decline of Faith-Based Student Organisations?
15. Conclusion: A History of Resilience, Adaptation, and Community
16. Sources and Bibliography
17. Index

## Reviews

- Douglas J. Falen (2026). [Frédérick Madore. Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin: Christian and Muslim Students Navigating Authoritarianism and Laïcité, 1970–2023. De Gruyter Brill, 2025. 281 Pp. $98.99. Hardcover. ISBN: 9783111427904](https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2025.10172). *African Studies Review*, 69 (1).

  > Madore's account demonstrates an admirable respect for the current and former members he interviewed and a deep knowledge of the complex relationships between student religious associations, politico-economic conditions, and the challenges of Togolese and Beninese students.
- Matthew Swagler (2026). [Frédérick Madore. Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin: Christian and Muslim Students Navigating Authoritarianism and Laïcité, 1970–2023](https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhag129). *The American Historical Review*, 131 (3), pp. 1417-18.

  > Ultimately, the book’s sweeping account of religious associations on West African campuses stands as an important resource for historians of contemporary religion, higher education, and politics.
- Macodou Fall (2025). [Frédérick Madore, Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin: Christian and Muslim Students Navigating Authoritarianism and Laïcité, 1970–2023. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023. 308 Pages. ISBN: 978-3-11-142790-4.](https://researchafrica.duke.edu/sites/default/files/-5-7-Religious-Activism-on-Campuses-in-Togo-and-Benin-Issue3-2025.pdf). *Research Africa Reviews*, 9 (3), pp. 15-17.

  > These nuances, however, do not detract from the book's contribution, which is considerable; this is due to its comprehensive analysis of the history and development of faith-based movements in Togo and Benin from 1970 to 2023. The book offers a valuable resource for scholars seeking to understand the complex interplay between faith, activism, and adaptation in Francophone Africa.
- K. D. Thompson (2025). [Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin: Christian and Muslim Students Navigating Authoritarianism and Laïcité, 1970–2023 by Frédérick Madore. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2025. Pp. xiii + 259. €79.99 (Hbk).](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X25101195). *The Journal of Modern African Studies*, 63 (4), pp. 298-300.

  > Madore has produced an important work that documents previously neglected histories and demonstrates the significance of faith-based associations in shaping student activism, religious dynamics, and elite formation in West Africa. The book will be valuable for scholars of religion and higher education in Africa, students of social movements and those interested in how religious identity intersects with political and economic change.

## Cited by

- Michael Fisch (2026). [Dreihundertdreißig Jahre Wissenschaft zu Qur’ān und Islam: Ein Verzeichnis von 1694 bis 2024 unter Berücksichtigung angrenzender Gebiete Dritter Band mit Quellen von 2005 bis 2024](https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112205020). *Berlin: De Gruyter, 2026*.
- Wikipedia contributors (2026). [Union for the Republic (Togo)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_for_the_Republic_%28Togo%29). *Wikipedia (English), consulted 15 August 2026*.
- Leonardo A. Villalón, Mamadou Bodian, Abdourahmane Idrissa (2025). [École, religion et république au Sahel : éducation arabo-islamique et réforme de l'enseignement public](https://www.editions-harmattan.fr/catalogue/livre/ecole-religion-et-republique-au-sahel/79472). *Dakar: Harmattan Sénégal, 2025*.

## Links

- [Source](https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111428895)

## BibTeX

```bibtex
@book{religious-activism-campuses,
    title = {Religious Activism on Campuses in Togo and Benin: Christian and Muslim Students Navigating Authoritarianism and Laïcité, 1970–2023},
    author = {Frédérick Madore},
    year = {2025},
    month = mar,
    abstract = {Although religious organisations have coexisted with student unions at the Université de Lomé and the Université d'Abomey-Calavi since the 1970s, much of the literature has tended to focus on the role of student protests in triggering national conferences in Benin and Togo in the early 1990s, overlooking religion. Based on interviews with different generations of activists and the press in both countries, this book uncovers the neglected history of Christian and Muslim student associations on these campuses, originally strongholds of leftist, anti-imperialist and secular ideologies. It analyses the emergence of these associations under a one-party dictatorship in Togo and a Marxist-Leninist regime in Benin, and explores the implications of growing religiosity for these public universities as secular institutions.

The history of these associations reveals the campus as a microcosm reflecting wider national socio-political life, while also highlighting the importance of translocal factors in shaping the internal dynamics of these groups. Amidst the massification of university enrolments and rising graduate unemployment in recent decades, faith-based associations have come to offer more than religious guidance. Increasingly, they offer a "social curriculum", providing a space for socialisation and a set of skills, norms and moral values that complement the secular academic curriculum.},
    doi = {10.1515/9783111428895},
    url = {https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111428895},
    language = {English},
    publisher = {De Gruyter},
    address = {Berlin},
    isbn = {978-3-11-142790-4},
    series = {ZMO-Studien 48},
    pages = {308},
    keywords = {Religion, Education, Politics, Togo, Benin, Student Activism, University Campuses, Higher Education, Islam, Christianity, Authoritarianism, Secularism, West Africa},
    note = {Prefaced by Abdoulaye Sounaye.}
}
```