A Quantitative Study of Places of Worship in Windhoek, Namibia

Abstract

Since Namibia's independence, religious diversity in Windhoek has increased, and the city faces the challenge of a rapidly growing number of places of worship, which raises concerns amongst the government authorities and residents. This article aims to determine the number of churches in Windhoek and their spatial distribution pattern within the city boundaries in twenty-seven suburbs and excluded peripheral areas. It is guided by the religious neoliberal theory, in which God and religion are commodified and commercialized. The spatial aspect of the places of worship is explained based on the Hoyt sector theory and the Multi-nuclei model. These theories describe urban land uses and how these land uses develop from the city centre in a pattern of circles. Data from four databases was converted into quantitative data and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The above is done by highlighting the number of existing houses of worship and clarifying why there is such a number in an area. The study results revealed 300 religious groups or organizations associated with worship gatherings and 249 places of worship in the study area. Therefore, the study concluded that the 249 worship houses spatially signify the religious diversity of Windhoek's population. It cannot be stated that the site has many worship houses because the existing ones are essential as they represent the religious diversity in the locality. The results are critical in that they will bring clarity to the stakeholders who grapple with the issue of places of worship in Windhoek.

Keywords

• churches
• houses of worship
• places of worship
• social infrastructure
• spatial planning