ABSTRACT
Most cultures around the world have a belief system that shapes their members’ behavior. Often this belief system is religion. Various religions around the world have been documented by scholars in the social sciences; however, the impact of religion in the formation of elites has not been documented. Ethnographic research among the Maasai of Kenya demonstrates that religion plays a role in the construction of the elite. It shows how religions, such as Christianity and Islam, can act as a catalyst for elite formation.
