Religion, Ideology & Conflict in Africa

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Notes

1. The usual conventions regarding capital letters when referring to faith groups and sects are have been adopted, though not without reservation.

2. Most analysts and casual observers seem to take for granted this upsurge in religious adherence and its salience – but there is scant firm evidence. Paradoxically, one much cited recent text (Ellis & Ter Haar, 2004 – reviewed in this issue) that starts by proclaiming ‘the blooming of religious movements’ as a remarkable feature of the late 20th century, intriguingly makes a passing admission that ‘… recent research suggests that more Africans are indifferent to religion today than in the past’ – offering two case study citations in support, but then never mentioning that ‘fact’ again! Perhaps both tendencies are occurring.

3. Pentecostalism refers to the Christian revivalist movement where adherents believe the ‘Gifts of the Holy Spirit’ are directly accessible to all as personal spiritual experience, usually through baptism and glossolalia. It is based on the biblical report that on the Jewish day of Pentecost (or harvest) ‘suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind … Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak’ (Christian Bible, Acts 2,2).

The Pentecostal movement dates essentially from the early years of the 20th century in the US, has roots in Methodism, and has had considerable appeal to black Americans, before it spread to Africa and elsewhere, especially from the 1970s.

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Notes on contributors

Roy Love

Editor's Note: While the Editorial was substantially written by Roy Love, the advice and editorial comment by the other issue editors – Janet Bujra, Usman Tar and Tunde Zack-Williams – is gratefuly acknowledged. The Prologue and the first two paragraphs which follow it were contributed by Lionel Cliffe.