State–Religious Relationships in Ethiopia

Abstract

In this chapter, Steen-Johnsen depicts how the Ethiopian regime uses fear tactics in order to keep the religious peacebuilders in accordance with their political strategies. She presents rich empirical material describing how religious leaders engaged in peacebuilding fear sanctions if they do not adhere to the strategies of the regime. She finds that processes of securitization as well as historical patterns of state–religious interactions affect how political strategies are enacted in Ethiopia. She argues that these findings make a strong argument of considering how the enactment of political strategies influences the scope of opportunities of religious peacemakers.