Yearning for Old Time Religion in the Face of Globalization? Interpreting Fundamentalisms and Violent Extremism in Africa

There is an upsurge in violence that associated with religion in Africa, and in other parts of the world. Despite the generation of diverse theories that seek to account for this phenomenon, scholarship remains sharply divided. In particular, there is contestation over whether religion is responsible for violence. This chapter seeks to contribute to the debate by focusing on the impact of globalization on religious consciousness in Africa. Without reducing violence attributed to religion to religious factors, the chapter contends that there is merit in reviewing how fundamentalisms and violent extremism might be regarded as reactions to globalization in Africa.