The first chapter establishes the importance of distinguishing between ethnic and religious conflicts in Africa. It begins by first defining key concepts and positioning the study alongside other perspectives on ethnic and religious conflict, in particular the constructivist and instrumentalist accounts that focus primarily on coalition size, as well as accounts from the study of religion and politics that focus on the structural characteristics of specific groups (such as Islam). The chapter then provides an overview of the argument, outlining the land-based nature of ethnicity and the rule-based nature of religion. Those individual-level priorities are exploited by instrumental elites in the course of conflict. I also outline the methodological approach of the book; I describe the value of a mixed methods study and I stress the importance of complementary analytical strategies that together bolster the inferences that one can draw from the research. Finally, the chapter considers potential objections to the argument, using that opportunity to highlight the unique contributions of the book.