Tradition in Peril: Epistemic and Physical Violence Against the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Abstract Although scholars and high-ranking government officials have long recognized the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church for its immense political, social, and economic contributions over millennia, it has faced escalating epistemic and physical attacks over the past half-century, intensifying significantly since 2018. The study examines the nature and underlying causes of these multifaceted assaults on the EOTC and explores possible mechanisms for addressing them in the future. A qualitative research approach with a case study design was employed, drawing extensively on primary and secondary sources. This study argues that distorted narratives about the EOTC, the rise of ethnodoxy, and the tacit silence of the government have contributed to the persecution of clergy and the faithful, the burning and destruction of churches, and the profanation and appropriation of the Church’s epistemic heritage. The study concludes that unless structured counter-epistemic violence measures, church administrative reforms, and equitable political representation are secured, the institutional freedom and existence of the Church will remain in peril.