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A pioneering and challenging book, which has been highly acclaimed since first publication in Africa; and an important addition to the relatively sparse serious political literature on civil society in Africa. The author is a political scientist, priest, and prominent in national public life, and abroad as a lecturer and journalist. He draws on his diverse spheres of expertise to look afresh at debates about political and societal failure in Africa, since independence; abysmal and sometimes worsening indicators of development - life expectancy decreasing; infrastructure in decay; and relentless poverty. He debates what he considers the most radical and plausible views on the subject: that th...
In this collection of convocation lectures delivered over a number of years at several Universities across Nigeria, Matthew Hassan Kukah, outspoken Bishop of Sokoto, reflects on the myriad of challenges bedeviling the Nigerian nation. Themes covered include, "Nigeria and the future of Africa"; "After the insurgency: some thoughts on national cohesion"; "To heal a fractured nation: education and leadership for a new Nigeria"; "Transition to democracy: can Nigeria ride the wave"; "The pursuit of happiness: some thoughts on human rights, freedom and justice in Nigeria" and "Broken truths: Nigeria's elusive quest for national cohesion." The book is vintage Kukah: gusto, courage and enthralling c...
This volume focuses on the role Christian churches have played in Africa's democratisation movements since the late 1980s. In some cases churchmen have presided over national conferences; in many, Christians comprise arguably the most significant segment of civil society. In some countries pastoral letters have challenged dictators; in others, churches have provided an essential support for the status quo. The book comprises both theoretical analyses and case studies. The theoretical discussions include the history of Church-State relations; theology and democracy; Pentecostalism and democracy; the problems of consolidating democracy. The 13 case studies sketch the historical context, and then critically examine developments up till late 1993. The book will prove particularly useful to students of Third World Christianity, African historians and political scientists, and all interested in the socio-political role of Christianity.
Nigeria, the United States’ most important strategic partner in West Africa, is in grave trouble. While Nigerians often claim they are masters of dancing on the brink without falling off, the disastrous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, the radical Islamic insurrection Boko Haram, and escalating violence in the delta and the north may finally provide the impetus that pushes it into the abyss of state failure. In this thoroughly updated edition, John Campbellexplores Nigeria’s post-colonial history and presents a nuanced explanation of the events and conditions that have carried this complex, dynamic, and very troubled giant to the edge. Central to his analysis are the oil wealth, endemic corruption, and elite competition that have undermined Nigeria’s nascent democratic institutions and alienated an increasingly impoverished population. However, state failure is not inevitable, nor is it in the interest of the United States. Campbell provides concrete new policy options that would not only allow the United States to help Nigeria avoid state failure but also to play a positive role in Nigeria’s political, social, and economic development.
This title provides a scholarship on how to promote inter-faith dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Africa and America.
For 1,400 years, the Christians of the Mideast lived under a system of sustained persecution as a distinct lower class of citizens under their Muslim rulers. Despite this systemic oppression, Christianity maintained a tenuous—even sometimes prosperous—foothold in the land of its birthplace up until the past several decades. Yet today, Christianity stands on the brink of extinction in much of the Mideast. How did this happen? What role did Western foreign policy and international aid policy play? What of the role of Islam and the Christians themselves? How should history judge what happened to Christians of the Mideast and what lessons can be learned? This book examines these questions based on the firsthand accounts of those who are living it.
This major work is about the political impact of Islam in modern Nigeria. It argues that Islam is both a religious and political force in modern Nigeria and that there is a tiny Islamic elite who aims to impose a theocracy on the country. The book traces the origin of the creation of an Islamic identity and how, since the 1950s, this identity has been further strengthened and manipulated to control federal power. So successful is the use of Islam for power that the Christians have been instigated to fight back, thus unleashing a never ending religious rivalry.For its insights on the emergence of identity, the relationship between Islam and political power, and the relevance of Islam in Nigeria, there is no other book that can compare with this one. The authors are famous and are widely regarded as among the best analysts on religion in Africa.