PERSONAL INFORMATION
EDUCATION
2004-2007 PhD, School of Social and Political Science, the University of Edinburgh
2003-2004 Master of Science by Research, School of Social and Political Science, University of
Edinburgh
1994-2000 Laurea in Scienze Politiche, University of Bologna. MA in Political Science
EMPLOYMENT
2024 - Professoressa in Storia ed Istituzioni dell’Africa, fascia II
Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Sociali e delle Imprese Culturali, Universita’ di Parma.
2017-2024 Reader in Africa and International Development
Centre of African Studies, the University of Edinburgh
2019 Maternity Leave (12 months leave)
2015-2018 Director, Centre of African Studies
Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh
2013-2017 Senior Lecturer in African Development
Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh
2010-12 Lecturer in African Development
Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh
2009-10 Teaching Fellow
Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh
2007-08 Postdoctoral Fellow (ESRC-NGPA Funded, 2 years)
Sociology Subject Area, University of Edinburgh
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
2024 - Honorary Fellow, Centre of African Studies, the University of Edinburgh
2017-2024 Research Associate, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
2017- 2018 Visiting senior fellow – Kyoto University, Japan
2011 Visiting Professor, University of Cagliari, University of Cagliari, Italy
2010 Visiting Lecturer, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
ACADEMIC MEMBERSHIP
African Association for the Study of Religion (AASR)
African Studies in Europe Network (AEGIS)
Associazione per gli Studi Africani in Italia (ASAI)
Societa’ Italiana per la Storia Internazionale (SISI)
EDITORIAL, REVIEW AND ACADEMIC SERVICE
- 2000–present – Journal and book reviewer for a range of publishers and journals, including Routledge, James Currey, Africa, African Affairs, Afriche e Orienti, Journal of Modern African Studies, Journal of Religion in Africa, and Journal of East African Studies, among others.
- 2009–2014 – Review Panel Member, ESRC–DFID Joint Scheme for Research on International Development (Poverty Alleviation).
- 2011–present – External Examiner for multiple doctoral examinations in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Finland, and South Africa.
- 2011–2014 – Trustee and Board Member, Jubilee Scotland (NGO).
- 2016–present – Editor, Religion in Transforming Africa book series, James Currey, London.
- 2016–2022 – Panel Advisor, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, United Kingdom. Assessed applications from African candidates seeking scholarships to study at British universities.
- 2020–present – Editorial Board Member and Book Reviews Editor, Religion and Development, an international journal based at Humboldt University, Berlin.
- 2020–2022 – External Examiner, Undergraduate Degree in International Development, University of Leeds.
- 2022 – Member, Doctoral Review Panel for the award of 15 scholarships on the theme Religion and Multidisciplinarity across ten Italian universities.
- 2025–present – Editorial Board Member, African Journal of Gender and Religion, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
- 2026 – Reviewer, European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant proposals.
PUBLICATIONS
Books
Marnell J, Camminga B, Bompani B & Wairuri K (eds). (2026) East African Queer & Trans Displacements. London: Bloomsbury Publishers [Open Access]
Mbote DK, Bompani B & van Klinken A, with Parsitau D (2024) Journeys of Change: Stories of Religious Leaders and LGBTQ+ Inclusion in East Africa. London: Bloomsbury Publishers [Open Access].
Bompani B. & Valois C. (eds.) (2017) ‘Christian Citizens' and the moral regeneration of the African State. Routlege: London.
Bompani B. & Frahm-Arp M. (eds.) (2010) Development and Politics from Below, Exploring Religious Spaces in the African State.Palgrave-MacMillan: London.
Articles and peer-reviewed chapters
Bompani B (2027) ‘Christian Nationalism in Uganda’ in Philip S. Gorski, Alain Dieckhoff, Matthias Koenig, Srirupa Roy, Geneviève Zubrzycki (eds) Oxford Handbook on Religious Nationalism, Oxford University Press [under review].
Bompani B (2027) ‘Intersecting Religion, Sexuality and Development in sub-Saharan Africa’ in Nitya Rao, Jasmine Gideon, Ulrike Theuerkauf and Shannon Philip (eds) Gender and Development Handbook Critical engagements with Gender and Social Justice, Edwards Elgar Publishing [in press].
Bompani B (2026) ‘From Sinner to Un-sinned: religion and spirituality in the everyday life of LGBTQ+ refugees in Kenya’ in Marnell J, Camminga B, Bompani B & Wairuri K (eds) East African Queer & Trans Displacements. London: Bloomsbury Publishers [chapter 9].
Bompani B (2025) ‘The Rationality of Spirits and Demons’ in Utambuzi: Journal for the Study of the Religions of Africa and its Diaspora 8, no. 1 (2025): 60–68 [Open Access].
Sachpasidi C, Bompani B & Nicol C (2024) “Intercultural encounters”: unpacking the role of mentors in supporting Global South students transitioning into Global North Institutions” in Journal of Studies in International Education [Open Access].
Bompani B (2024) ‘L’influenza del Cristianesimo sulla vita pubblica africana’ in Paradoxa, Nova Spes, Volume 18, n. 2, 147-161 [publication in Italian].
Van Klinken A, Bompani B & Parsitau D (2023) ‘Religious Leaders as Agents of LGBTIQ Inclusion in East Africa’ in African Affairs, vol 122, issue 487, 1-14.
Bompani B (2022) ‘The memory of persecution is in our blood’: documenting loyalties, identities and motivations to political action in the Ugandan Pentecostal Movement’ in Journal of Modern African Studies vol 60, issue 4 (December), pp. 479-501.
Philipp Öhlmann, Bompani B. et al. (2021) ‘A New Journal for a New Space: Introducing Religion & Development’ in Journal of Religion and Development, vol.1, n.1, pp.3-24.
Bompani B (2019) 'Old and New Alliances: Christian churches and the African National Congress in South Africa' in Jeff Haynes (eds) Routledge Handbook of Religion and Political Parties, pp. 263-274 [chapter 21].
Bompani B. (2019), “Christianity in Africa: Pentecostals and Charismatics” Global Encyclopaedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History, Macmillan Reference USA.
Bompani B (2019) 'Religion and Development: Tracing the Trajectories of an Evolving Sub-discipline' in Progress in Development Studies, vol. 3, pp. 1-15.
Bompani B (2018) 'The Evolution of African Studies in the UK' in African Study Monographs, Suppl. 54: 27–38.
Bompani B (2018) 'Religious Economies: Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches and the Framing of a New Moral Order in Neoliberal Uganda' in Wiegratz J., Martiniello G. & Greco E. (eds.) Uganda: The dynamics of neoliberal transformation. Zed Books [chapter 16].
Bompani B (2017) "‘Good Christians, Good Citizens'. Pentecostal-charismatic narratives of citizenship, public action and national belonging in contemporary Uganda" in Bompani B. & Valois C. (eds.) ‘Christian Citizens' and the moral regeneration of the African State. Routlege: London.
Spiegel, S., Gray, H., Bompani, B., Bardosh, K., & Smith, J. (2016). Decolonising online development studies? Emancipatory aspirations and critical reflections–a case study. Third World Quarterly, pp. 1-21.
Bompani B & Valois C (2016) 'Sexualizing politics: the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, party-politics and the new political dispensation in Uganda' in Critical African Studies, Vol. 8, issue 2, pp. 1-19.
Bompani B (2016) 'South Africa' in Goodhew DJ (eds) Growth and Decline in the Anglican Communion, Routlege: London [chapter 7].
Bompani B (2016) ‘For God and For My Country’: Pentecostal-charismatic Churches and the Framing of a New Political Discourse in Uganda' in van Klinken A & Chitando E (eds) Public Religion and the Politics of Homosexuality in Africa, Surrey: Routledge [chapter 1].
Bompani B & Terreni Brown S (2015) 'A “religious revolution”? Print media, sexuality and religious discourse in Uganda' in Journal of Eastern African Studies, vol. 9, issue 1, pp. 110-126.
Bompani B (2015) 'Religion and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Overview' in Tomalin E. (eds) Handbook for Religions and Global Development, London: Routledge [chapter 7].
Bompani B (2014) ‘Beyond disciplinarity: reflections on the study of Religion in International Development' in Journal of Religion and Theology, vol. 21, pp. 309-333.
Bompani B & Smith J (2013) 'Bananas and the Bible: Biotechnology, the Catholic Church and rural development in Kenya' in International Journal of Religion and Society, vol. 4, n.1-2.
Bompani B. (2013) "Local religious organisations performing development: Refugees in the Central
Methodist Mission in Johannesburg" in Journal of International Development [online version]. Print version: Bompani B. (2015) "Local religious organisations performing development: Refugees in the Central
Methodist Mission in Johannesburg" in Journal of International Development, vol. 27, n. 2, pp. 197–212.
Bompani B. (2012) "South African Constitution and the making of a ‘new’ civil society" in Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo,vol. 1.
Bompani B. (2012) ‘It is not a shelter, it is a church!’ Religious organisations, the public sphere and xenophobia in South Africa' in Hopkins P., Kong L. and Olson E. (eds) Religion and place: landscape, politics and piety, Springer, New York [chapter 8].
Bompani B. and Frahm-Arp M. (2010), "Development and Politics from Below: New Conceptual Interpretations" in Bompani and Frahm-Arp (eds), Development and Politics from Below, Exploring Religious Spaces in the African State, Palgrave-MacMillan, London.
Bompani B. and Frahm-Arp M. (2010), "Reflection on Modernisation without Secularisation" in Bompani and Frahm-Arp (eds), Development and Politics from Below, Exploring Religious Spaces in the African State, Palgrave-MacMillan, London.
Bompani B. (2010) Religion and Development from Below: Independent Christianity in South Africa in Journal of Religion in Africa, vol. 40, n.3.
Bompani B. (2008) African Independent Churches in Post-Apartheid South Africa: New Political Interpretations, in Journal of Southern African Studies, vol. 34, n.3.
Bompani, B. (2006) Mandela Mania: Mainline Christianity in Post-Apartheid South Africa, in Third World Quarterly, vol. 27, No. 6.
Bompani B. (2002), Pluralismo religioso in Sudafrica: I diversi volti della minoranza musulmana in epoca post-colianale, in Afriche e Orienti. Rivista ai confini tra Africa Mediterraneo e Medio Oriente, vol 1. (Translation: Religious pluralism in South Africa: the different faces of the Muslim minority in the postcolonial era).
Bompani B. (2001), AIDS in Africa: il ruolo delle chiese nella lotta al virus, in Afriche e Orienti. Rivista ai confini tra Africa Mediterraneo e Medio Oriente, vol 1. Translation: AIDS in Africa: the role of churches in fighting the virus.
Bompani B. (2000), Percorso Bibliografico. La Cristianita’ in Sudafrica, in Afriche e Orienti. Rivista ai confini tra Africa Mediterraneo e Medio Oriente, vol 4. Translation: Christianity in South Africa: a literature review.
Sample of other publications:
Bompani B (2027) ‘Citizens of God’ in Atlas of Uncertainty. Wits University Press and ACTAR, chapter 16 [in press].
Blogs:
GenderED blog: Bompani B, Camminga B & Marnell J (2023) ‘Bodies at the Border: reflections on LGBT+ Ugandan refugees in Kenya’. Link: https://16daysblogathon.blog/2022/12/02/day-eight-bodies-at-the-border-reflections-on-lgbt-ugandan-refugees-in-kenya/
Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE) (October 2023) blog: Bompani B. “God-fearing nations”: understanding the rise of homophobia and homophobic legislations in East Africa and beyond’.
E-International Relations (September 2011) blog: Bompani B. ‘Religion and Faith-based Organisations in Africa: the forgotten actors’ https://www.e-ir.info/2011/09/27/religion-and-faith-based-organisations-in-africa-the-forgotten-actors/
The Conversation (December 2013) blog: Bompani B https://theconversation.com/profiles/barbara-bompani-107363
Online booklet: Identities in Transition, 2023: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/9c8c34c4ab.html
