The muted voice of the Catholic Church in Angola
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Authors
Drewiske, Jeffrey A.
Subjects
Catholic Church; Second Vatican Council; boomerang pattern; gatekeeper; human rights
Advisors
Sigman, Rachel
Date of Issue
2016-12
Date
Dec-16
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
This thesis explores the role of the Catholic Church in Angola and compares it to the influence of the Church in two other former Portuguese colonies: Mozambique and Brazil. More specifically, this thesis asks how the Catholic Church has permeated each society and spread the values and rights pronounced by the Second Vatican Council. Using a comparative case study methodology, this thesis investigates why the influence of the Church, specifically with respect to the development of rights and freedoms, was weaker in Angola than in Brazil and Mozambique despite a common colonial and religious heritage. The analysis suggests that state resistance to international influence, or gatekeeping, is a significant factor in understanding the relationship between transnational actors and civil society, as suggested by the boomerang pattern. Rents from resource revenue enabled Angolan elite to sustain their gatekeeping efforts longer than others. This argument suggests the need to bring together theories of transnational advocacy and the resource curse to better understand when and why transnational actors influence domestic politics. These insights offer potential lessons to policy makers as they search for opportunities to effectively promote liberal democracy and constructively engage states in the developing world.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
NPS Outstanding Theses and Dissertations
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.