Reconciliation and Religio-political Non-conformism in Zimbabwe

Joram Tarusarira attained his PhD from the Institute for African Studies at the University of Leipzig (Germany), where he was a German Research Foundation doctoral candidate of the Research Training Group, "Religious Non-Conformism and Cultural Dynamics". His research interests, in which he has published journal articles and book chapters, include the role of religion in conflict and its transformation, religious non-conformism and cultural dynamics, religion and civil society, social movements, post-conflict reconciliation. His academic background is in the following disciplines: philosophy and religious studies, adult education and development studies, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconciliation studies. His academic experience has been enriched by studying in various countries: Zimbabwe, Canada, Ireland/ Northern Ireland and Germany.

• 1 Religion, Society and Politics in Zimbabwe2 Secularisation, Sacralisation and Civil Society in Zimbabwe3 Democratisation, Reconciliation and Civil Society4 Understanding Religious Non-Conformism5 Historical Perspectives on Religio-Political Non-Conformism in Zimbabwe: From Colonial Rule to 19996 Religio-Political Non-Conformism in Zimbabwe since 2000 to 20137 Prospects for Religio-Political Non-Conformism in Zimbabwe - Contributions to Debates on Democratisation and Reconciliation8 The Prospects for Religio-political Non-Conformism in Zimbabwe – Maximizing Effective Action9 Conclusion

"This is a rich, informative and well researched book which contributes significantly to studies on churches in Zimbabwe." - Ezra Chitando, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe "Joram Tarusarira has written a fascinating study, exploring the relationship between religion, society and politics in Zimbabwe. His account explains how religion is contributing to democratisation and reconciliation in the country, often written off as a basket case beyond redemption. Tarusarira shows that the often subtle interplay between religious and secular political actors can contribute to post-conflict rebuilding in Zimbabwe and hopefully to help heal the wounds of the past. I thoroughly recommend the book for anyone interested in the intricacies of the relationship between politics and religion in Africa." - Jeffrey Haynes, London Metropolitan University, UK "Joram Tarusarira offers a thorough, up-to-date and compelling analysis of the role of religion in contemporary Zimbabwe. Pushing beyond studies that focus on Zimbabwe's mainline churches, Tarusarira draws on excellent fieldwork to analyse the religio-political organisations that are working on the ground to promote reconciliation. His development of the concept of religious non-conformism, which explains how such organisations are well-equipped to spark change, is a valuable contribution to the social scientific study of religion. This book deserves a wide readership among those interested in the relationships between religion, politics, reconciliation and social change." - Gladys Ganiel, Queen's University Belfast, UK