[AFGESCHERMD] Political Mobilization of Religious Identity in Post-1991 Ethiopia: The case of Orthodox Christianity

Zinabu Sharew, Samuel (2020) [AFGESCHERMD] Political Mobilization of Religious Identity in Post-1991 Ethiopia: The case of Orthodox Christianity. Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.

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Abstract

This study focuses on the political mobilization of religious identities in post-1991 Ethiopia: the case of Orthodox Christianity. Its main objective is to examine how Orthodox Christian identities are mobilized for political purposes in post 1991 Ethiopia. The post-1991 ethnic-based federalism state structure of Ethiopia is (re)shaping Orthodox Christian identity, which is instrumentalized for political mobilization. The thesis traced the factors that give rise to the political mobilization of religious identity in Ethiopia. For this, historical narratives and discourse analysis were used. The thesis built on 16 informants’, archives, government and non-government reports, and media outlets. Moreover, reviews of related literature were also the major ways of analyzing this study. The political mobilization of Orthodox Christianity is intertwined with a number of factors. This concerns mainly the post-1991 socio-political developments. In particular, the new political institutions, which reconstruct the Ethiopian state, are now (re)shaping Orthodox Christianity. In this thesis, I have argued that the mobilization of Orthodox Christianity can be understood through three major interrelated post-1991 developments: a shift in state discourse for the Ethiopian nation-building, ethnic based federal arrangement and state secularism that opened up a new religious space in Ethiopia. Consequently, the competitions to (re)defining religious public space has created exclusivist religious identity movements that results in inter-religious competition, tension and violence. Keywords: Ethiopia, Religious Identity, Orthodox Christianity, Political mobilization, Ethnic-federalism, and State secularism.

Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisors (RUG):	Supervisor E-mail Tutor organization Tutor email Martinez-Arino, J. Faculteit GGW, Religiewetenschap J.Martinez.Arino@rug.nl Tarusarira, J. Faculteit GGW, Religiewetenschap J.Tarusarira@rug.nl
Degree programme:	Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation
Academic year:	2019-2020
Date of delivery:	27 Nov 2020 11:55
Last modified:	03 Feb 2026 11:16
URI:	https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/554

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