Civil religion in Ghana

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Civil religion in Ghana
Author:	Dovlo, Elom
Year:	2003
Periodical:	Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies
Volume:	35
Issue:	1-2
Pages:	36-56
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Ghana
Subjects:	religion Church society politics
Abstract:	Civil religion is the recourse to religious images and symbols in public and political life. In the politics of Africa, the use of religion goes beyond this normal experience of civil religion. Two subvarieties of religion in politics can be discerned in West Africa, viz. religious nationalism and the political manipulation of religion. Related to the latter is a pervasive use of religion during elections. But the place of religion in the African political arena must not be seen solely in terms of politicians using religion to influence citizens in a political way. Religious bodies and their leaders have also independently tried to influence political decisionmaking in Africa. These four dimensions of the use of religion in politics in Africa are the focus of this paper, which draws illustrations mainly from Ghana. Bibliogr., ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]