Erlich's analysis of political, military, and diplomatic developments in the Horn of Africa since the late nineteenth century is combined with an exploration of the ways in which religious formulations of the nearby "other" influenced policymaking and were also reshaped by it. His work demonstrates in a compelling way how initial Islamic and Christian concepts remain directly relevant in the region today.

Muslims and Christians in the horn of Africa: interactions across the centuries -- From disastrous confrontation to pragmatic friendship : Ethiopia and Sudan, 1884-1898 -- Radicalism, war, and pragmatism : Ethiopia and the Somalis, 1899-1920 -- Africanism, Arabism, and Marxism : Ethiopia and Sudan, 1930-1991 -- The return of political Islam : Ethiopia and Sudan, 1991-2009 -- Nationalism and conflict : Ethiopia and Somalia, 1943-1991 -- Religion returns to the forefront : Ethiopia and Somalia, 1991-2009 -- Religion and politics in the horn: options and choices.