Religions in Contemporary Africa: An Introduction
ISBN: 9781351260725
Platform/Publisher: Taylor & Francis / Routledge
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Unlimited; Download: Unlimited
Subjects: Area Studies; Humanities; African Studies; Religion; African Religion; Christianity; Indigenous Religions; Islam - Religion;

Religions in Contemporary Africa is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to the three main religious traditions on the African continent, African indigenous religions, Christianity and Islam. The book provides a historical overview of these important traditions and focuses on the roles they play in African societies today. It includes social, cultural and political case studies from across the continent on the following topical issues:

Witchcraft and modernity Power and politics Conflict and peace Media and popular culture Development Human rights Illness and health Gender and sexuality

With suggestions for further reading, discussion questions, illustrations and a list of glossary terms this is the ideal textbook for students in religion, African studies and adjacent fields approaching this subject area for the first time. 


Laura S. Grillo earned her PhD in History of Religions from The University of Chicago and is Affiliated Faculty at Georgetown University (USA). Her book, An Intimate Rebuke (2018), was supported by a Research Fellowship at Harvard Divinity School.

Hassan J. Ndzovu is Senior Lecturer of Religious Studies at Moi University (Kenya), with a PhD from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (South Africa). He has also held two postdoctoral positions, at Freie Universität Berlin (Germany) and Northwestern University (USA).

Adriaan van Klinken is Associate Professor of Religion and African Studies at the University of Leeds (United Kingdom). He holds a PhD in Religious Studies from Utrecht University (the Netherlands) and was a postdoctoral fellow at SOAS University of London.

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