Introduction

Abstract

Religion and politics have been defined in many different ways (Ellis and Ter Haar 2004: 13; Blakely, van Beek, and Thompson 1994; Lambeck 2002: 8–12). In what follows, religion is broadly defined as the understanding of life and the world in the light of a Higher Being or beings without which life can neither have meaning nor be explained. No human activity or happening in the world is exempted from being related to the higher Entity/entities. In such an understanding, intermediaries play a very important role. They act not only as instruments of the higher entities but also as interpreters of whatever is happening in this world in the light of the “otherworldly” and “supra-human.” Such a worldview (Weltanschauung) encompasses all human activity.