• Religious perspectives

Religious perspectives

This paper carries out a preliminary assessment of the role of religions in sub-Saharan civil conflicts. Quantitative and qualitative analysis based on a newly compiled database including 28 violent conflicts show that religion plays a role more frequently than is usually assumed and that the effects of religions are principally ambiguous.

Given the widespread focus on socioeconomic factors, the authors argue that it comes as no surprise that religion is neglected in most theoretical explanations of African civil conflicts. While scholarly interest is increasing in light of the civil wars in Sudan, Nigeria, and northern Uganda, no systematic empirical analysis has been undertaken to date. Religious actors and institutions have escalating effects in many cases, yet more often they become active for peace. Religious identities and ideas seem to have a particular impact on conflict. Even though religion seems secondary when compared to classical risk factors, the findings demonstrate that religious factors have to be taken seriously when analysing civil conflicts in Africa.

The authors conclude that the abuse of religion in conflict is particularly likely when religious and other boundaries run parallel, when religion distinguishes the conflict parties, and when stronger connections exist between religious organisations and political actors. There is thus no simple nexus between different religious factors and conflict. However, many pressing methodological challenges persist and should be addressed in future research.

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