Revolution & Religion In Ethiopia

"The Mekane Yesus is a Protestant evangelical church established among the Oromo of western Ethiopia early in the 20th century. Set in the context of centre-periphery politics, it has always had an uneasy relationship with the central authorities of the Ethiopian state. During the revolutionary years of the Dergue under Mengistu Haile Mariam, Mekane Yesus was the particular target of state persecution. Not only had Mekane Yesus developed a strong indigenous theology, resistant to Marxist-Leninist ideology, but along with other Evangelical churches, it also strengthened the resistance of peripheral Ethiopia to the centralizing control of the state. The church not only survived persecution, but has seen a revival, posing new challenges to the church's own theology and internal structure."--BOOK JACKET.