59. Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Africa: An Analysis of Bias, Decline, and Conversion Based on the Works of Bernard Lonergan, by Cyril Orji. ISBN 978-0-87462-736-7 & ISBN 10: 0-87462-736-2. Paper. 269 pp. Bibliography. Index. $32
Africa has often been perceived as a confluence of tension and conflict and the recent upheavals in Sub-Saharan Africa have done little to help this perception. The waves of ethnic and religious violence continue to drain the continent of its material and human resources, leading to a state of cumulative decline. Intolerance and tribal and inter-ethnic conflict, seem commonplace. Muslim-Christian relations in some countries are currently at their lowest ebb. The author of this study, Cyril Orji, draws on Canadian Jesuit theologian, Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984) to offer an analysis of bias that addresses a root cause of conflict in the human person and society. According to Orji, Lonergan's analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of ethnic and religious conflict in Africa and can offer resources for overcoming them
Dr. Cyril Orji (M.Ed, PhD) received his doctorate in theology from Marquette University. He specializes in systematic and fundamental theology with emphasis on the work of Bernard Lonergan. He collaborates in inter-religious dialogue and engages in the intersection of religion and culture: enculturation, post-colonial critical theory, and Black and African theologies. Dr. Orji is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Dayton, OH.
Marquette University Press
