With Christian revivals (including Evangelicals in the White House), Islamic radicalism and the revitalisation of traditional religions it is clear that the world is not heading towards a community of secular states. Nowhere are religious thought and political practice more closely intertwined than in Africa. African migrants in Europe and America who send home money to build churches and mosques, African politicians who consult diviners, guerrilla fighters who believe that amulets can protect them from bullets, and ordinary people who seek ritual healing: all of these are applying religious ideas to everyday problems of existence, at every level of society. Far from falling off the map of the world, Africa is today a leading centre of Christianity and a growing field of Islamic activism, while African traditional religions are gaining converts in the West. One cannot understand the politics of the present without taking religious thought seriously. Stories about witches, miracles, or people returning from the dead incite political action. In Africa religious belief has a huge impact on politics, from the top of society to the bottom. Religious ideas show what people actually think about the world and how to deal with it. Ellis and Ter Haar maintain that the specific content of religious thought has to be mastered if we are to grasp the political significance of religion in Africa today, but their book also informs our understanding of the relationship between religion and political practice in general.

Worlds of Power: Religious Thought and Political Practice in Africa (Contemporary History of World Affairs)

History

Ellis, Stephen

Ter Haar, Gerrie

World

Oxford University Press

With Christian revivals (including Evangelicals in the White House), Islamic radicalism and the revitalisation of traditional religions it is clear that the world is not heading towards a community of secular states. Nowhere are religious thought and political practice more closely intertwined than in Africa. African migrants in Europe and America who send home money to build churches and mosques, African politicians who consult diviners, guerrilla fighters who believe that amulets can protect them from bullets, and ordinary people who seek ritual healing: all of these are applying religious ideas to everyday problems of existence, at every level of society. Far from falling off the map of the world, Africa is today a leading centre of Christianity and a growing field of Islamic activism, while African traditional religions are gaining converts in the West.One cannot understand the politics of the present without taking religious thought seriously. Stories about witches, miracles, or people returning from the dead incite political action. In Africa religious belief has a huge impact on politics, from the top of society to the bottom. Religious ideas show what people actually think about the world and how to deal with it. Ellis and Ter Haar maintain that the specific content of religious thought has to be mastered if we are to grasp the political significance of religion in Africa today, but their book also informs our understanding of the relationship between religion and political practice in general.

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

Spirit of Africa: The Healing Ministry of Archbishop Milingo of Zambia

Only after his appointment as RC Archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia, in 1969 did Emmanuel Milingo become aware of his healing powers. Members of his congregation suffering from sickness or misfortune believed they had been possessed by evil spirits, and that Milingo was able to provide healing. Milingo, an orthodox Catholic, "plunged into darkness" with his parishioners. He called on the Holy Spirit of Christian faith to liberate thousands of Zambians from the evil spirits which they considered to be the source of their suffering. He also made outspoken attacks on corruption in Zambian public life and other forms of misgovernment, which he equally saw as symptoms of evil. Under the influence of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the West, Milingo came to believe that spiritual forces are present not only in Africa but all over the world. But the West, he believes, has lost its ability to communicate with the spirit world and thereby the ability to combat evil. He sees it as his mission to persuade the Catholic Church to re-learn this skill from Africa. In 1982 Milingo was removed from Lusaka by order of the Vatican, and since then has lived and worked in Rome. Under the personal protection of the Pope, he continues to heal hundreds of sick and troubled people every week in Italy - having been forbidden to do so in Zambia. This book, based on research in Africa and Europe, provides the facts about Milingo's life and work, discusses his thought and his actions, and explains how he was forced to leave the country. It also describes and analyzes the conflict surrounding his healing ministry.

Africa World Pr

Muchos han dicho que espiritualidad y poder se solapan en África, algunos incluso han intentado demostrarlo, pero pocos se han aventurado en este terreno pantanoso con la ambición que reviste el presente libro. Ellis y ter Haar, en Mundos de poder, recurren a un auténtico despliegue interdisciplinario para abordar el tema.

Mundos de poder / Worlds of Power: Pensamiento religioso y practica politica en africa / Religious Thoughts and Political Practice in Africa ... / African Studies Library) (Spanish Edition)

Bellaterra S.A. Ediciones

Religion is a driving force of the twenty-first century. Here is a book that discusses every aspect of this fascinating subject, proposing an agenda for future study. The authors are leading scholars from all over the world.

Religion and Society: An Agenda for the 21st Century (International Studies in Religion and Society)

Tsuruoka, Yoshio

BRILL

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ter Haar, Gerrie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Ter Haar, Gerrie

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ter Haar, Gerrie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Worlds of Power: Religious Thought and Political Practice in Africa (Contemporary History of World Affairs)

Worlds of Power: Religious Thought and Political Practice in Africa (Contemporary History of World Affairs)

Spirit of Africa: The Healing Ministry of Archbishop Milingo of Zambia

Mundos de poder / Worlds of Power: Pensamiento religioso y practica politica en africa / Religious Thoughts and Political Practice in Africa ... / African Studies Library) (Spanish Edition)

Religion and Society: An Agenda for the 21st Century (International Studies in Religion and Society)