Sean Bala reviewed The Tenth Parallel by Eliza Griswold
Review of 'Tenth Parallel' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Out of the many books I've read concerning religion and international affairs over the past few years, "The Tenth Parallel" by Eliza Griswold is one of the strongest and most perceptive. Through an examination of five nations (Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines), Griswold book examines the way that religion is intertwined with political, economic, social, and environmental pressures along the Tenth Parallel across the Global South.
What make the book strong is that the book take a nuanced approach to religion and international affairs. Sometimes the cause of problems, but often a manifestation or symptom of other problems, Griswold shows the importance of religion in areas where a variety of resources are becoming scarce. Additionally, the book is quite well-written and the author, an established journalist, has a way of using stories to capture wonderful, symbolic stories and images. And the stories she uses are ones that …
Out of the many books I've read concerning religion and international affairs over the past few years, "The Tenth Parallel" by Eliza Griswold is one of the strongest and most perceptive. Through an examination of five nations (Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines), Griswold book examines the way that religion is intertwined with political, economic, social, and environmental pressures along the Tenth Parallel across the Global South.
What make the book strong is that the book take a nuanced approach to religion and international affairs. Sometimes the cause of problems, but often a manifestation or symptom of other problems, Griswold shows the importance of religion in areas where a variety of resources are becoming scarce. Additionally, the book is quite well-written and the author, an established journalist, has a way of using stories to capture wonderful, symbolic stories and images. And the stories she uses are ones that I've seen reappearing in other media, showing that she is completely plugged into the wider debate over religion and current affairs.
In my opinion, the second part of the book on Asia is stronger than the first about Africa. And the one big flaw of the book is that because it was written in 2010 it does not reflect the Arab Spring, the division of Sudan, the establishment of an increasingly stable Somali government, etc.... In any case, these missing things aside, I would say that if you really want to understand religion in contemporary society, this book is essential reading.