Samuel K. Elolia 
Religion, Conflict, and Democracy in Modern Africa [EPUB ebook] 
The Role of Civil Society in Political Engagement

Spanning various regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, the authors of this volume come together to explore the complex relationship between religion and democracy in contemporary Africa. As a result of the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union, many African countries have come to the realization, however partial, that political and social change is inevitable in spite of government heavy-handedness and threats. It has also become evident that no political system that refuses to permit freedom of political expression and alternative systems of governance could continue to be sustained.

It is in precisely this political climate that religious institutions have collaborated with other elements of civil society to call for political reforms, with the church often becoming the prominent voice against oppressive governments in countries such as Kenya and South Africa. It is the purpose of this book to assess how religion shapes political issues and to what extent religious forces influence the civil society. By acknowledging the role of the civil society, the essays recognize the resilience that comes out of Africa even when the sociopolitical situation seems unbearable.

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Afe Adogame is Senior Lecturer in World Christianity and Religious Studies at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh. He served as Convener of Commission 7: ‘Christian Communities in contemporary contexts’ during the Centenary of the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, 2010. His latest books are: The African Christian Diaspora: New Currents and Emerging Trends in World Christianity (2013); and (eds) Religion on the Move? New Dynamics of Religious Expansion in a Globalizing World (2013).