Religion, History and Politics of

To examine some aspects of the interrelationship between religion and politics in traditional or indigenous African religions during colonial and early postcolonial times, particular focus will be given to four peoples with differing types of religions and cultures. The San have a hunting-gathering tradition, while the Maasai have a history of pastoralism. The Sukuma and the Yoruba are examples of societies with different kinds of predominantly agriculturalist traditions. Even though certain types of religions do not schematically correspond to certain types of cultures, the guiding point of departure is the assumption that there is some basic interdependence between religion and culture.

Among hunting-gathering peoples such as the San and Khoi, politics has been normally a most decentralized affair. With some exceptions like the Shilluk, political authority among pastoralist peoples, such as the Nuer, Somali, Oromo, and Maasai, has also been fairly decentralized. It is primarily among...