Introduction: Why and how this book helps you understand religions in Africa

This chapter introduces the book as a whole, as well as the authors. First, it gives a narrative account of who the authors are, why they have written this book and what the process of writing was. Second, it introduces the subject of this book - religions in contemporary Africa - and discusses the reasons why this is an important subject to study. Third, it examines the key concepts of this book - "Africa" and "religion" - and explains how this book approaches and understands these concepts and the relation between them. Last but not least, the chapter is honest about the limitations of this book, and indicates several areas for further studies. Throughout the chapter, the authors make clear that they are passionate about the subject of this book and aim to share their passion with the reader. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book traces the extensive history of both religions on the continent and underscores their complex interface with African traditions. It discusses several examples of the role that religions have played in colonial liberation movements as well as in shaping conceptions of African post-colonial identity. The book explores eligions in contemporary Africa - and discusses reasons why this is an important subject to study. Scholars of religious studies have been slow to acknowledge and classify African indigenous systems of belief and practice as "religion". Religious studies bifurcated religions into two categories, diametrically opposed: "world religions", such as Christianity and Islam and "the primitive" indigenous religions. Focusing on pragmatic matters of religious practice rather than doctrine, the boundaries of African religions are not as rigidly controlled, and participation tends to be inclusive rather than exclusive.