Course Synopsis:
This course will examine the intersection of Islam, Christianity, and the colonial and post-colonial experience of Africans. It will explore how these religions helped to determine the range and limits of colonial impact and of anti-colonial nationalist activities. It will also examine the role of these religions in the emergence of a new class of elite through whose leadership modern African nation states emerged after independence. Finally, it will examine the increasingly globalized characteristics of these religions and the pivotal role they have played in the emerging socio-political realities of late 20th and early 21st Century-Africa.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, student will have learned to:
- analyze factors involved in the long term process of religious and cultural change in Africa
- recognize how religion was closely interwoven with state and community formation in Africa
- analyze the role of religion in the social and political history of African societies from the colonial period up to the recent past.
- appraise the immense cultural and religious diversity of Africa and its social and political implications
- to express their more informed responses to issues of diversity and difference among the different peoples and regions of Africa as well as generally.
Method of Evaluation and Weights:
60% Weekly online review of & comments on assigned readings & lectures
15% Midterm exam
25% Essay
Texts Required:
Students will be supplied with links to all the reading materials required for this course.
Please note: This is a preliminary website description only. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.
