Author: Ebenezer Obadare<br />File Type: pdf<br />Throughout its history, Nigeria has been plagued by religious divisions. Tensions have only intensified since the restoration of democracy in 1999, with the divide between Christian south and Muslim north playing a central role in the countrys electoral politics, as well as manifesting itself in the religious warfare waged by Boko Haram. Through the lens of ChristianMuslim struggles for supremacy, Ebenezer Obadare charts the turbulent course of democracy in the Nigerian Fourth Republic, exploring the key role religion has played in ordering society. He argues the rise of Pentecostalism is a force focused on appropriating state power, transforming the dynamics of the country and acting to demobilize civil society, further providing a trigger for Muslim revivalism. Covering events of recent decades to the election of Buhari, Pentecostal Republic shows that religio-political contestations have become integral to Nigerias democratic process, and are fundamental to understanding its future. ***Review The best work on religion in Nigeria that I have read in recent years. It will have a profound impact on African studies, religion and sociology. (Jacob Olupona, Harvard Divinity School) A must-read. Clearly argued and highly informative, there is nothing quite like it on the market given its contemporary focus. Tackling questions beyond those focused on a single religious tradition, it will find an avid scholarly readership. (Brandon Kendhammer, Ohio University) An authoritative work on the politics of Nigerias Pentecostal revolution during the countrys fourth attempt at constitutional democracy. An important text in African political studies. (Olufemi Vaughan, Amherst College) An excellent and provocative analysis of political Pentecostalism in Nigeria. Written in eminently fluid prose, the book stages a new paradigm for the study of democracy and charismatic Christianity. Quite simply brilliant. (Nimi Wariboko, author of Nigerian Pentecostalism) An accessible yet astute analysis of the profound impact that popular forms of Christianity have on the political landscape in Nigeria. A key text for anyone with an interest in contemporary Christianity, democracy, and politics in Nigeria, Africa, and beyond. (Adriaan van Klinken, University of Leeds) A brilliant expose of the central role of religion, particularly Pentecostalism, in Nigerias political landscape. The narrative is gripping and the insights compelling. A must read for any student of religion and politics. (Allan H. Anderson, University of Birmingham) A work that combines theoretical sophistication with an elegant analysis of a complex cultural phenomenon. Obadare is a brilliant writer whose passion, conviction, and deep knowledge of Nigerias political and religious terrain comes across vividly and persuasively. (Simeon O. Ilesanmi, Wake Forest University) What happens when the theological meets the political in a formally secular state? In this lucid account of Pentecostalism, Obadare offers perspectives on its phenomenal rise. (Birgit Meyer, Utrecht University) About the Author Ebenezer Obadare is professor of sociology at the University of Kansas. His books include Humor, Silence, and Civil Society in Nigeria Civic Agency in Africa Arts of Resistance in the 21st Century and The Handbook of Civil Society in Africa.