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Spirit of Africa: The Healing Ministry of Archbishop Milingo of Zambia

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This book is an account of Archbishop Milingo, a faith healer who was expelled from Zambia and who now works in Vatican City. The author, a Religious Studies Lecturer, lets the whole story unfold within the social and political context of a country ruled by President Kenneth Kaunda, comparing the two men, who had each reached positions of power through charisma. The author's basic premise is that Kaunda, although personally believing in Milingo's powers, felt he had to distance himself from the Archbishop in order to fulfil the role of a "modern" state leader. Ter Haar suggests that Kaunda equated political modernity with secularity. She suggests that Kaunda considered religion, healing and witchcraft to be antithetic to modern statecraft and national progress. Finally, Ter Haar asserts that, despite this attempt at western-style progress, divorcing the church from religion, African states are still fundamentally religious. She also clearly believes the Milingo's "miracles" really work.