Why have some churches in Africa engaged in advocacy for stronger liberal democratic institutions while others have not? Faith in Democracy explores this question, emphasizing the benefits of liberal democratic protections for some churches. The book explains how churches' historic investments create different autocratic risk exposure, as states can more easily regulate certain activities – including social service provision – than others. In situations where churches have invested in schools as part of their evangelization activities, which create high autocratic risk, churches have incentives to defend liberal democratic institutions to protect their control over them. This theory also explains how church fiscal dependence on the state interacts with education provision to change incentives for advocacy. Empirically, the book demonstrates when churches engage in democratic activism, drawing on church-level data from across the continent, and the effects of church activism, drawing on micro-level evidence from Zambia, Tanzania and Ghana.

‘Baldwin's fascinating book explores the dilemma of African churches that face risks of autocratic expropriation. Liberal democracy promises the conditions for survival, but there are risks and potential rewards for Church leaders to advocate democratic reforms, depending on whether they provide education and are free from state funding.  Baldwin relies on newly compiled data, statistical tests, experiments, case studies, and compelling strategic analysis to identify the conditions for Church leader challenges to democratic decline.'

David D. Laitin - James T. Watkins IV and Elise V. Watkins Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

‘Why do some African Church leaders publicly oppose threats to liberal democratic institutions while others remain silent? Baldwin argues that it depends on whether such advocacy protects the Church's ability to achieve its ecclesiastical goal of spreading the gospel – especially through Church-run schools. This is a deeply researched and compelling book. It should be required reading for those interested in understanding the complex links between religion and democracy, in Africa and beyond.'

Daniel N. Posner - James S. Coleman Professor of International Development, University of California, Los Angeles

‘Why do churches sometimes take great risks to defend liberal democracy? Religious institutions are often viewed as conservative actors, but Baldwin shows that this is not always true. Through a brilliant combination of cross-national and within-country evidence, Baldwin convincingly argues that churches with activities at risk of suppression and with independent sources of financing are more likely to resist autocrats. The book makes novel contributions to the study of democratic resilience, non-state provision, and religion in political life.'

Melani Cammett - Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University