The State of Secularism - Religion, Tradition and Democracy in South Africa - Dhammamegha (NEW)

The State of Secularism - Religion, Tradition andDemocracy in South Africa (Paperback) DhammameghaAnnie Leatt (OUT OF PRINT NEW)

The Dutch Reformed Church, it was said in apartheid SouthAfrica, was the National Party at prayer, and indeed, given that the Bible wasso fundamental to much of the legislation that governed the apartheid state,that apparently satirical description had the ring of truth. 'Religion in SouthAfrica's past', writes Dhammamegha Annie Leatt has been 'saturated by politics'and politics 'saturated by religion'. So how, she asks, was it possible for anew state to found itself without religious authority? Why did the churchesgive up so much of their political role in the transition? How can we thinkabout tradition and the customary in relation to secularism? How can we not? InThe State of Secularism Leatt guides the reader from a history of globalpolitical secularism through an exploration of the roles played by religion andtraditional authority in apartheid South Africa to the position of religion inthe post-apartheid state. She analyses the negotiations relating to religion inthe constitution-making process, arguing, that South Africa is both secular inits Constitution and judicial foundations and increasingly non-secular in itsembrace of traditional authorities and customary law. In the final chapterLeatt turns her attention to post-apartheid South Africa, examining changingrelationships between churches and the ruling African National Congress and theincreasing influence of traditional leaders and evangelical Christians in ananti-liberal alliance. This book makes a tremendous contribution to the literatureon postcolonial politics on the African continent. It has wonderful insightsinto the founding of a constitutional democracy in South African and willappeal to students in history, politics, sociology and anthropology andconstitutional law.