Opol, Samuel D. Min2024-09-302024-09-302024-03https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/28984A Thesis Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies of Kenyatta University March, 2023 Supervisors; 1. Margaret G. Gecaga 2. Newton Kahumbi MainaThis study examined the Anglican and Islamic political theologies and their attendant influence on Anglican-Muslim relations in Kampala during the administration of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) between 1986 and 2016. In 1986 the NRM Administration implemented the Ten-Point Programme, its bush war governance blueprint. Central to it was realisation of national unity by eliminating religiously “sectarian” politics. In pursuit of it, the Administration abolished the religiopolitical parties, and in the National Constitution in 2005 secularised politics. In spite of this, religiously partisan politics passisted as evidenced by religiously partisan political activities. The problem investigated, thus, constituted the irony of the persistence of Anglican and Muslim political interest, and how this influenced the relations of the two religious groups between 1986 and 2016. The study sought to: Examine the NRM Administration’s ideology on religious groups’ involvement in national politics, Evaluate the influence of Anglican and Islamic political theologies in national politics, and, Assess the influence of Anglican and Islamic political theologies on Anglican–Muslim relations. The literature reviewed comprised works of both Christian/Anglican and Muslim scholars. It highlighted that religion was not unique and socio-historically autonomous; instead, it was inextricably bound to culture and society. This was in sync with the theoretical framework of the study drawn from Hans Kung’s view of religion as an encompassing reality (Kung, 1996). In light of this, the study sought to understand political theologies and their causal influence on activities and relations between Anglicans and Muslims. The study employed a qualitative methodology using a phenomenological approach. Data was collected through documentary analysis, review of archival materials; second, key informant interviews; and self-administered questionnaires. Findings of the study included that the Administration’s stance, influenced by the Ten-Point Programme, fostered religious inclusivity in the bid to eliminate all forms of sectarianism. However, this enabled groups to redefine their political participation. The Anglican Church’s political involvement was driven less by a common theological position than its episcopal-based ecclesiology, where the local bishops set the political tone. Muslims, though not articulating their theological motivation, were more politically active. However, they suffered internal fractures as well as political influences from diverse global Muslim communities. As a result, they remained too weak to have a united political voice. The study concluded that political participation and relation between the two groups resulted less from articulated political theologies than from historical factors. The religiopolitical nexus following the religious wars (1988-1892) overtime remained a major defining factor in political participation by religious groups in Ugandan politics. In light of the above, for the State, the study recommends a cautious effort in opening religiopolitical space and in implementing religio-cultural elements that would easily breed religiopolitical tensions among religious groups; and that both the Anglican Church and the Muslim community develop programmes for political guidance in order to enlighten the “faithful” of their civic responsibilityenThesis