Religion and Politics in East Africa

... a welcome addition to the growing literature on religion and state in Africa and should be required reading for specialists and students of contemporary African society and politics. What gives this volume its particular value for specialist and general readers alike is the overall emphasis given to the significance of the social and economic environment for the political salience of religion in the rapidly changing environment of the past twenty-five years... There is also a freshness to the discussions that reflects both the fruits of recent field work and the 'mix' of long established and newer scholars for which the editors are to be congratulated. -

• Part 1 The challenge of Islam: attempts to create Muslim national organizations, F. Constantin; the issue of Sharia in Sudan, R.S. O'Fahey; Idi Amin, "the Nubi" and Islam in Ugandan politics, Omari H. Kokole. Part 2 Christianity, sectarianism and politics in Uganda: holy spirit movement, Heike Behrend; the church of Uganda amidst conflict, K. Ward; the Catholic church and the root cause of political instability, J.M. Waliggo; Catholics and political identity in Toro, R. Kassirer. Part 3 Christians and Muslims in Kenyan politics: politics of church-state conflict in Kenya 1978-1990, D. Throup; Kenya's Protestant churches and the Nyayo state, G.P. Benson; Muslim predicament in Kenya, D. Cruise O'Brien. Part 4 Cross-cultural complications: Christian-Muslim inputs into public policy formation in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, A.B.K. Kasozi; churches and human rights in Kenya and Uganda, M. Louise Pirouet; church and state in East Africa - unresolved questions, M. Doornbos; dilemmas and challenges in the study of religion and politics, H. Hansen.