Why does religion become a fault line of communal violence in some pluralistic countries and not others? Under what conditions will religious identity - as opposed to other salient ethnic cleavages - become the spark that ignites communal violence? Contemporary world politics since 9/11 is increasingly marked by intra-state communal clashes in which religious identity is the main fault line. Yet, violence erupts only in some religiously pluralistic countries, and only in some parts of those countries. This study argues that prominent theories in the study of civil conflict cannot adequately account for the variation in subnational identity-based violence. Examining this variation in the context of Nigeria's pluralistic north-central region, this book finds support for a new theory of power-sharing. It finds that communities are less likely to fall prey to a divisive narrative of religious difference where local leaders informally agreed to abide by an inclusive, local government power-sharing arrangement.

This book explores the significance of religious resurgence and violence in Nigeria, and how informal local government power-sharing reduces communal Muslim-Christian violence.

About the Author
Laura Thaut Vinson is an Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Lewis and Clark College, Portland. She has conducted fieldwork in Nigeria and Kenya, and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College. She has interned with the US Department of State; the US Embassy to Lithuania; the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Belgrade, Serbia; and Islamic Relief, UK. She was a Fulbright student research fellow to Lithuania. Her work has appeared in edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Peace Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota.


Book Information
ISBN 9781316631300
Author Laura Thaut Vinson
Format Paperback
Page Count 363
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 560g
Dimensions(mm) 150mm * 230mm * 20mm