Role

Village church in Sabeto area. Religion impacts
everyday life in Fiji.

Religion plays a significant role in Fijian culture. Based on the last census figures available, the majority share of the population, 65%, follows the Christian faith. The leading denomination is overwhelmingly Methodist, a sizeable community of RC, and some Anglicans, Assembly of God, Seventh Day Adventists and others. The Orthodox churches are present, though their congregations may be minuscule.  

Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, Nadi. The largest Hindu temple in the South Pacific. 

Around 28% of the population are Hindu which is the largest minority religious group in Fiji. Muslims make up another 6%. There are  tiny communities of Sikhs, Buddhists, Bahais and Jews as well. 

By and large, the religious demography goes hand in hand with ethnicity. Indigenous Fijians (iTaukei) are Christian, while the Indo-Fijians are mostly Hindu with some Muslims. The ethnic Chinese community follow Christianity and Buddhism, while the Europeans are mostly Christians. 

Christianity came first to Fiji in the 1820s/30s and gradually spread across the islands after Cakobau was converted in 1854 by James Calvert. Read about him and his missionary work among the polytheistic Fijians here. Both Hinduism and Islam, the two main minority faiths, have come to Fiji with the Indo-Fijians in the late 19th century. 

The Methodist Church has a presence everywhere. The board reads  'Methodist
Church in Fiji. T/C Vakaivakatawa. Natalau, Fiji.' The Church is a focal point
for village life. On the Sunday that I passed this one, there was a big
group of men chatting on the back porch. Children were playing
 in the grounds of another church less than a mile on. 

The Methodist Church in Fiji has not been apolitical in  the past. It has protested against the eligibility of non-Christian candidates, endorsed Christian ones and to some extent has to be held responsible for inciting racial/communal disharmony. However, the recent leaders have moderated this nationalistic tone and promoted general harmony. 

According to a recent report by the US State Department, the Fijian constitution provides a framework for a secular state and protects freedom of worship and diversity of faith. The constitution also mandates for separation of religion and state. Pew Research Centre's Global Report on Religious Restrictions 2020 places Fiji at a low level with respect to social hostilities and moderate for government restrictions on religious freedoms.

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Suva, was built in the
 early 1900s.

This has not always been so historically as we have seen earlier in this series. The Church has conflated "Fijian-ness" with "Christianity" and has backed and opposed coups. Some leaders within the Methodist Church have advocated for establishment of a Christian state, which had lead to a confrontation with the previous government. The military has not been neutral either. However, the atmosphere of the early 21st century has eased off now after the 2014 and 2018 elections, according to a report by Freedom House. Read more here and here.

All this month I'll be writing about Aspects of Fiji, which is where I'm residing at the mo. And where the sum of its riveting parts is greater than the whole.

Did you know that Fiji is a rugby mad nation and fields one of the globally best teams in rugby 7? It has repeatedly won the world title - four times in fact, and is ranked at  number three. A special F$ 7 note has been introduced to celebrate the Men's and Women's Rugby 7 teams.

~ Thank you for reading ~

Posted for the A-Z Challenge 2023