Throughout its history, Nigeria has been plagued by religious divisions. Tensions have only intensified since the restoration of democracy in 1999, with the divide between Christian south and Muslim north playing a central role in the country’s electoral politics, as well as manifesting itself in the religious warfare waged by Boko Haram. Through the lens of Christian–Muslim struggles for supremacy, Ebenezer Obadare charts the turbulent course of democracy in the Nigerian Fourth Republic, exploring the key role religion has played in ordering society. He argues the rise of Pentecostalism is a force focused on appropriating state power, transforming the dynamics of the country and acting to demobilize civil society, further providing a trigger for Muslim revivalism. Covering events of recent decades to the election of Buhari, Pentecostal Republic shows that religio-political contestations have become integral to Nigeria’s democratic process, and are fundamental to understanding its future.

Publisher's description. In 1842, fifteen-year-old Ellen Harmon had a dream. “[The angel] handed me a green cord coiled up closely. This he directed me to place next to my heart, and when I wished to see Jesus, take it from my bosom, and stretch it to the utmost. He cautioned me not to let it remain coiled for any length of time, lest it should become knotted and difficult to straighten. I placed the cord near my heart, and joyfully descended the narrow stairs, praising the Lord, and telling all whom I met where they could find Jesus.” In The Green Cord Dream author Alex Bryan asks, Is there a purpose and possibility for Adventist Christianity in the twenty-first century? Will we desire the Bible again as a way to fall in love with Jesus? Will Jesus be everything in Adventism? Will we live for heaven alone? Will we get lost in minor theological disputes and church spats? Or will we live within the grand story of The Great Controversy? I believe the Adventist movement can have a bright, prevailing future, but we are at a critical time. The challenges are significant. We must choose a vision of Adventist Christianity for the future. We need bold and beautiful dreams emerging from every generation and locality. We need Green Cord Dreams. We need the The One. We need Jesus.