Beyond Reason
Beyond Reason
Magic and Science in the LRA
This chapter argues that the LRA transcended the question of rationality by binding together both science and magic in their rebellion. Moving past debates that either condemn LRA beliefs and actions as irrational (and therefore inhuman) or attempt to explain them as rational (and therefore human), this chapter takes LRA beliefs and actions in their singularity in ways that expose the limits of “rationality” and “humanity.” Releasing “rationality” and “humanity” helps better conceptualize how the LRA held at once military and spiritual tactics; magical-prophetic and modern-scientific time; Christian and traditional Acholi religious practices; and spiritual and political reasons for fighting. By holding together logic and faith in this way, they transcended the category of “rationality,” undergirding many concepts of “humanity.”
Keywords: rationality, science, magic, reason, spirituality, humanity, Lord’s Resistance Army
California Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
