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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | In search of a public sphere: mainstreaming religious networks into the African Renaissance agenda |
Authors: | Uzodike, Ufo Okeke Whetho, Ayo |
Year: | 2008 |
Periodical: | Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies |
Volume: | 35 |
Issue: | 2 |
Pages: | 197-222 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Africa |
Subjects: | religion ideologies development |
External link: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02589340802366976 |
Abstract: | In the post-modern era, the motivation for most social science research on religion has stemmed from the reality of ascendant religiosity, which refers to the increasing recourse to faith or spirituality by a growing number of persons. Within this milieu, religious networks have emerged as important actors in civil society and as powerful forces for social mobilization, albeit for both constructive and destructive ends. Given the enormous influence that religious networks wield over a great number of citizens in Africa, State actors have tended in recent times to co-opt faith-based organizations into policy implementation processes (such as HIV/AIDS advocacy) with a view to ensure that such activities effectively resonate amongst the people. Moreover, governments often mobilize the religious constituency in the implementation of different national development and transformation agendas. At the continental level, the logic of extricating Africa from its multifaceted problematique has been conceptualized as African Renaissance. This paper amplifies the discourse on African Renaissance by examining critically the raison d'être, possibilities, and plausible pitfalls of the integration of religious networks into the African Renaissance agenda. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract, edited] |