Religion And State In Tanzania Revisited

This book looks at the relationship between religion and state in Tanzania as a feature of the Tanzanian social scene, from pre-colonial/colonial times to post-colonial times. It examines the changes in the character of religion and state relations, especially after independence, and the way these changes are experienced in different communities - particularly by African traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians. The book studies the nature of the relationship between religion and state, the way it is conceptualized and experienced, and the implications for the democratic aspirations of pluralist Tanzania. (Series: Interreligious Studies - Vol. 7) [Subject: History, African Studies, Religious Studies, Politics]

Based on interviews and archival material, this volume examines the different periods in the relationship between church and state in Tanzania from independence to 1994.

Examines how learning and teaching morality in Tanzania's faith-oriented schools is inextricably interwoven with the complex power relations of an interconnected world.

A Tanzanian Muslim Dr. Hamza Njozi suggested in his book, Mwembechai Killings, that the killings were "a culmination of a long historical conspiracy between the Church and the Government: a twin alliance whose objective has always been to marginalize and oppress Muslims". The author of this timely book explains the rational behind The Cross versus the Crescent. "It was partly because I was dissatisfied with Dr. Ngozi's limited historical context of the crisis that I embarked on my own research. In doing so I was guided by the hope that a broader historical context might help a better understanding of current relations between the two faiths in Tanzania".

Two important dynamics have driven political and social change in sub-Saharan Africa during the past 25 years. New religious trends have emerged within the main faiths of Islam and Christianity, in particular the emergence of more charismatic, assertive forms of religious expression. Meanwhile, political space has opened in scores of countries as one-party rule has given way to a process of democratization, yet to be completed. Based on their field work in each country, the authors examine the various ways in which religious actors have chosen to engage with the state. They also consider how governments and political actors respond to, and seek to manage, these interactions.

The contributions of this volume discuss the broad field of transformation processes in Muslim societies from different perspectives with various disciplinary approaches. Apart from methodological questions the authors investigate religious and social developments in Africa and the Near and Middle East while focusing e.g. on the production of meaning, negotiation of religious values and spaces, gendered agency, and debates of identity.