For God and My Country: Catholic Leadership in Modern Uganda - Paperback

by J. J. Carney (Author)

A devout Catholic politician assassinated by a capricious dictator. A Cardinal standing up for his people in the face of political repression. A priest leading his nation's constitutional revision. The "Mother Teresa of Uganda" transforming the lives of thousands of abandoned children. Two missionaries who founded the best community radio station in Africa. A peace activist who has amplified the voices of grassroots women in the midst of a brutal civil war. Such are the powerful stories in For God and My Country, a book that explores how seven inspiring leaders in Uganda's largest religious community have shaped the social and political life of their country. Drawing on extensive oral research, J. J. Carney analyzes how personal faith, theological vision, and Catholic social teaching have propelled these leaders to embody Vatican II's call for the Church to be a sign of communion and unity in the world. Readers will gain rich insight into Uganda's postcolonial politics and the history of one of Africa's most important Catholic communities. Each chapter closes with leadership lessons and reflection questions, making this an ideal text for classroom and parish adoption.

Author Biography

J. J. Carney is Professor of Theology and African Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He is the author of the award-winning Rwanda Before the Genocide: Catholic Politics and Ethnic Discourse in the Late Colonial Era and co-author of Contesting Catholics: Benedicto Kiwanuka and the Birth of Postcolonial Uganda. As a Fulbright scholar, Carney served as Visiting Professor at Uganda Martyrs University.