Worlds of Power: Religious Thought and Political Practice in Africa.

• Author: Mirza, Adnan
• Position: Book review

WORLDS OF POWER: RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND POLITICAL PRACTICE IN AFRICA Stephen Ellis and Gerrie Ter Haar (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 256 pages.

The separation of church and state has been a defining characteristic not only of Western political life, but of religious scholarship as well. Events of the last few decades, however, have underscored the impact that religion can have on domestic and international affairs, and in turn, the need for serious study on the topic. Despite the growing acceptance of religion as a necessary area of analysis in politics, the bulk of work thus far has focused on the role of religious identity and institutions and not on how beliefs shape the political sphere. Ellis and Ter Haar's book helps fill this gap by examining African belief in the spiritual world and its concomitant ability to affect change in the material world. The ability to communicate and bargain with the spiritual world, the authors argue, is a primary source of political, economic and social power in Africa. The ubiquity of African spiritual beliefs accentuates power struggles on the continent. Interaction with...