Regulating Religious Coexistence

Erik Meinema is an assistant professor in religious studies at Utrecht University. His work focuses on religious diversity, youth culture, and political secularism in East Africa on which he has published and copublished several peer-reviewed articles. He also has published two edited volumes with Lucien van Liere, one on materiality, religion, and conflict, and the other on the meaning of weapons.

• List of Illustrations AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations Note on Language Introduction Chapter 1 The Roots of “Religion” in KenyaChapter 2 Negotiating Giriama: Traditionalism in Interfaith CooperationChapter 3 Countering Violent Extremism: The Role of IslamChapter 4 Moral Religiosity in Coastal Kenya: Generational Politics and Religious DiversityChapter 5 Witchcraft, Terrorism, and the Politicization of Religious AestheticsConclusionNotesReferencesIndex

"A nuanced and compelling exploration of how diverse religious communities navigate shared social, political, and cultural spaces. Drawing on rich fieldwork and grounded analysis, the book uncovers the subtle mechanisms through which Muslims, Christians, and other faith groups in coastal Kenya negotiate coexistence-sometimes in harmony, sometimes amid tension. . . . moving beyond simplistic narratives of conflict or tolerance, revealing instead a dynamic landscape shaped by local histories, state regulation, and grassroots initiatives. Insightful, essential reading for scholars of religion, politics, policymakers and practitioners interested in peacebuilding and pluralism." - Hassan Mwakimako, Pwani University "Drawing on deep regional knowledge, Erik Meinema examines religious diversity in coastal Kenya, where coexistence unfolds amid stigma, moral critique, and political imbalance. This lucid, richly historicized account sheds new light on interfaith initiatives, the strategic negotiations of religious actors, and the fragile work of living with difference." - Janet McIntosh, Brandeis University "We need a more sophisticated analysis of interreligious encounters in Africa that moves beyond the conventional conflict-cooperation model. Erik Meinema’s book provides this. Grounded in rich ethnographic research and situated in Kenya’s multifaith setting of Malindi, this important book sheds a fresh light on how multiple stakeholders, including civil society organizations, international donors, elders, youth, religious leaders, politicians, and the secular state, understand, experience, and organize religious diversity." - Marloes Janson, SOAS University of London