Religious Pluralization and Competition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Toward a Comparative Study of the Social and Political Logics of Christianity and Islam
II. New Policies for Religious Actors in the Context of Globalization
By Cédric MayrargueEnglish
While contemporary processes of religious reordering are reinforcing the pluralist and competitive dimension of African religious spaces, few studies have contrasted the dynamics of the various religious actors. Taking as its starting point changes in the religious landscapes and underlining the simultaneity and proximity of specific processes of Christianization and Islamization, this paper suggests paths toward a comparative analysis of the social and political dynamics of Christianity and Islam in Africa. In particular, the study focuses on the interlinked logics of religious cohabitation, which is located between conflict and imitation, as well as on the effects of this competition on mechanisms of politicization of believers.