Resolving the Conflicts of Secularism and Religion in the Dialogics of African Communalism

Abstract

The religious conflicts that were exacerbated by the Reformation and CounterReformation in Europe led to the emergence of secularism as controlling movement. This however grew to a version of anti-religious sentiment and policy. While the claim to annihilation of religion was growing in Europe, religious theocracy and fundamentalism was also growing in some other parts of the world. In any case, neither theocratic totalitarianism nor secularist anti-religionism provided the forum for social peace and harmonious social relations in the multi-religious, multicultural demography that most states and societies have become in contemporary times. The ensuing conflicts and turbulent social existence, necessitated the study of the relations of religions and secularism in the world today with a focus on Africa. Part One of this study published as The Conflicts of Secularism and Religion: From Europe to Africa explored the origin, concepts and migration of secularism and its conflicts with religion from Europe to Africa. As more societies become more plural, multi-religious and multicultural, dialogue between religions on the one hand, and between secularism and religion on the other hand becomes more imperative. Apparently however, the willingness for such a dialogue is lacking, probably arising or motivated by the extant frameworks of operation and understanding. In this context, this Part Two of the study employs the dialogic method within the frameworks of African communalism to seek fresh understanding of the phenomena and proffer some proposals for more harmonious living in our world today.