Ethnic & Religious Conflict in Africa

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.