Rage and Carnage in the Name of God

“Illuminating the inner dynamics and processes of the radicalization of religion, Abiodun Alao offers a balanced picture of Nigeria’s religious and political terrain, showing how Christianity and Islam are similarly entangled in the mundane rituals of competition for power and the inevitable moral corruption, civil tumult, and physical destruction that often follow. Very few, if any, books combine such a treatment of politics and violence and their relation to religion as comprehensively as Rage and Carnage in the Name of God.” - Simeon O. Ilesanmi, author of Religious Pluralism and the Nigerian State

“While most books on religious violence in Nigeria focus on Islam and the violence generated within and beyond its different sects or against the adherents of other religions, this rich work also engages with the violence perpetrated by Christians against Muslims. It remarkably traces the history and contours of religious violence in Nigeria’s postindependence history while elaborating on the difficult process of state-building in the context of generalized violence. Rage and Carnage in the Name of God meets a critical need in the general scholarship on Nigeria and global studies in the age of religion-inspired terrorism.” - Wale Adebanwi, author of Yorùbá Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria

"Throughout this insightful book, [Alao] explores both post-independence Nigeria’s history and the global religious movements in their connection with religious violence. ... The book will be useful for students, researchers, policymakers and anyone who is interested in understanding the religious violence in Nigeria beyond the narratives that are common in the media."

"Abiodun Alao’s book is an interesting contribution to the literature on religious violence in Nigeria – a country where religious and ethnic divides come into play at all times. ... It offers a compelling explanation of the dynamics as well as the divergence between Christianity, Islam, and traditional religion in Nigeria. This book will definitely open up more discussions and debates on religiously motivated violence in Nigeria."

"For me, this is an important book. Its canvas is quite large, but the finished product makes the key arguments lucidly. Alao speaks clearly, and for the avoidance of doubt, he does not suggest that his book is the last word on the subject, rather he invites more discussion and the debates will indeed continue." - Jimam T. Lar, African Affairs

"Rage and Carnage in the Name of God, obviously, is an apt title that exudes the outrageous and sacrilegious extent to which religious motivations can be abused. Abiodun Alao, in this book, assembles incontrovertible evidence regarding the misuse and abuse of religion across the world, albeit with a sharp focus on Nigeria." - Kwaku Nti, Journal of Global South Studies

"Alao’s book offers an introduction to the history of, as well as some ways of thinking about, acts of violence carried out in the name of or by explicitly religious movements in Nigeria." - Spencer Drew, Religious Studies Review