Religion and politics Books

Book SynopsisKing Salman of Saudi Arabia began his rule in 2015 confronted with a series of unprecedented challenges. The dilemmas he has faced are new and significant, from leadership shuffles and falling oil prices to regional and international upheaval. 'Salman's Legacy' interrogates this era and assesses its multiple social, political, regional and international challenges. Whether Salman's policies have saved the kingdom from serious upheaval is yet to be seen, but no doubt a new kingdom is emerging. This book offers historical and contemporary insights into the various problems that persist in haunting the Saudi state. Madawi Al-Rasheed brings together well-established historians and social scientists with deep knowledge of Saudi Arabia--its history, culture and contemporary politics--to reflect on Salman's kingdom. They trace both policy continuities and recent ruptures that have perplexed observers of Saudi Arabia. This lucid and nuanced analysis invites serious reflection on the Saudi leadership's capacity to withstand the recent challenges, especially those that came with the Arab uprisings. At stake is the future of a country that remains vital to regional stability, international security, and the global economy.Trade Review'[Salman’s Legacy] is not a history of Saudi Arabia, not a forecast of where the country will go under King Salman and MbS, but a treasure trove of some important aspects of their inheritance.' -- Asian Affairs Journal

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Book Synopsis'Triumph and Despair' tells the dramatic story of post-revolutionary Iran's first four decades, from its establishment in 1979 until today. The revolutionary coalition that overthrew the monarchy was at once democratic, populist and Islamic. The Islamists, and the Khomeinists in particular, were able to capitalise effectively on prevailing conditions on the ground; to frame the new republic's constitution, capture nascent institutions, and consolidate their power by eliminating opponents through a reign of terror. Once the war with Iraq was over and after the death of the new order's charismatic founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic was consolidated: first by tweaking its institutional arrangements, and then by fostering economic development and post-war reconstruction. A reformist interlude then followed, reversed unceremoniously by a return of populism and a broader authoritarian retrenchment. Today Iran remains at odds with itself, its economy too deeply political to yield meaningful developmental results, its foreign relations too conflicted to allow it a productive place in the community of nations. As Iran's nationalities and its women and youth carve out spaces for themselves in the broader narrative, competing identities--religious, national and otherwise--abound. After forty years, the Islamic Republic remains a country in search of itself.Trade Review'Kamrava offers a glimmer of hope that transcends the intolerance of a myopic regime.' -- Geographical Magazine‘The author’s scholarship, expertise and incisiveness provides an exhaustive work on Iran’s modern political history … A comprehensive study.’ -- Asia Maior'Triumph and Despair dissects the complex modern history of the Islamic Republic. Kamrava's study of detail gives the reader a valuable insight into some of the most critical moments since 1979. Most importantly, not only what, but how and why. An excellent read.' -- Soraya Lennie, author of Crooked Alleys: Deliverance and Despair in Iran'This analytical guide to the birth and troubled life of the Islamic Republic of Iran leaves no stone unturned. Its framework and depth of knowledge makes it supreme; this is the most comprehensive and readable study of modern Iran, clearly informed by decades of expertise and knowledge accumulation.' -- Anoush Ehteshami, Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Chair in International Relations, Durham University'Triumph and Despair is the best book on post-revolutionary Iran. Focusing on the interaction between politics, economics and society, it provides a scholarly yet accessible account of what has happened over the past 40 years. A must-read.' -- Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver'Making sense of the Islamic Revolution and Iran under the Islamic Republic is no easy task, but Mehran Kamrava unpacks this complex history with great skill, producing a comprehensive work that is not only deeply insightful, but also highly readable.' -- Robert Steele, Visiting Research Fellow, Department of International History, London School of Economics, and author of The Shah's Imperial Celebrations of 1971: Nationalism, Culture and Politics in Late Pahlavi Iran

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Book SynopsisThere is a saying in Arabic, me and my brother against my cousin, and me and my cousin against the outsider. Iran's Influence is the first comprehensive analysis of the role that Iran plays both in Middle Eastern and global politics. Expert Iranian author Elaheh Rostami Povey provides a much-needed account of one of the Middle East's most controversial and misunderstood countries. Based on several years of original research carried out in Iran and across the Middle East, this insightful guide presents not only a fascinating introduction to the country, but also essential new ideas to help the reader understand the Middle East.Trade Review'This is a sharp, judicious, caring, and competent scholar activist who has consistently crossed borders to carve new territories of perception and responsibility.' Hamid Dabashi, Columbia University 'As the crisis between Iran and the USA intensifies, Elaheh Rostami Povey's new book makes essential reading.' Stephanie Cronin, University of Oxford 'This work challenges much of the current discourse on the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Western media. It places evolving Iranian foreign and regional policies since 1979 in their proper historical and intellectual context. It combines new scholarship on the popular perception in the Arab street of Iran’s foreign policies with an engaging style and makes an important contribution to our knowledge on regional dimensions of the Palestine-Israel conflict.' Nur Masalha 'This book provides a clear-eyed, fascinating, and politically committed rebuttal to so much of the vacuous mainstream punditry about Iran's position and actions in the region.' Laleh Khalili, SOAS 'This book provides a clear and concise overview of the recent history of Iran in terms of religion, national and international politics and internal alliances, divisions and oppositional movements.' Baroness Afshar OBE, University of York 'A fascinating contribution to the debate. Rostami-Povey's extensive interviews in the region sheds valuable light on the continuing appeal of Iran on the Arab street, its causes, consequences and implications.' Ali M Ansari, St. Andrew's University 'A fascinating study of the evolution of the Islamic Republican regime in Iran, of its complex and increasingly conflictual relationship with popular and social movements, and of its impact on the wider Middle East. This fine product of Elaheh Rostami-Povey's critical scholarship is essential reading for anyone who refuses to settle for mythological and demonizing representations of post-revolutionary Iran.' Alex Callinicos, King's College LondonTable of Contents Introduction 1. The Legacy of a Revolution 2. The Reformers, The Conservatives and the Struggle for Democracy 3. The role of clergy in Iran 4. Religio-Political relationship between Iran, Lebanon and Hezbollah 5. Religio-political relationship between Iran and Iraq 6. Religio-political relationship between, Iran, Palestine and Hamas 7. Religio-political relationship between, Iran, and Egypt 8. Conclusion: The global context of the Iranian religio-political state Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn January 2006, Hamas, an organisation classified by Western governments as terrorist, was democratically elected to govern the Palestinian territories. The inherent contradictions in this situation have left many analysts at a loss. Hamas uses terror tactics against Israel, yet runs on a law and order ticket in Palestinian elections; it pursues an Islamic state, yet holds internal elections; it campaigns for shar'iah law, yet its leaders are predominantly secular professionals; it calls for the destruction of Israel, yet has reluctantly agreed to honour previous peace agreements. In "Hamas in Politics", Jeroen Gunning challenges the assumption that religion, violence and democracy are inherently incompatible and shows how many of these apparent contradictions flow from the interaction between Hamas' ideology, its local constituency and the nature of politics in Israel/Palestine. Drawing on interviews with members of Hamas and its critics, and a decade of close observation of the group, he offers a penetrating analysis of Hamas' own understanding of its ideology and in particular the tension between its dual commitment to 'God' and 'the people'. The book explores what Hamas' political practice says about its attitude towards democracy, religion and violence, providing a unique examination of the movement's internal organisation, how its leaders are selected and how decisions are made.Trade ReviewThis thoughtful book deserves a wide readership. * Times Literary Supplement *an exemplary political primer on the Islamist party's evolution, structure and thought. * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisIn this timely book, completed before the current outbreak of unrest in Bahrain that has formed part of the Arab Spring, Laurence Louer explains, the background of the Bahraini conflict in the context of the wider issue of Shiism as a political force in the Arab Middle East, amongst other issues relating to the role of Shiite Islamist movements in regional politics. Her study shows how Bahrain's troubles are a phenomenon based on local perceptions of injustice rather than on the foreign policy of Shiite Iran. More generally, the book shows that, though Iran's Islamic Revolution had an electrifying effect on Shiite movements in Lebanon, Iraq, the Gulf and Saudi Arabia, local political imperatives have in the end been the crucial factor in the direction they have taken. In addition, the overwhelming influence of the Shiite clerical institution has been diminished by the rise to prominence of lay activists within the Shiite movements across the Middle East and the emergence of Shiite anti-clericalism. This book contributes to dispelling the myth of the determining power of Iran in the politics of Iraq, Bahrain and other Arab states with significant Shiite populations.Trade Review'Laurence Louer is among the foremost authorities on contemporary Shiite Islamic politics in the Middle East. Her intrepid field work and mastery of difficult Arabic texts give her hands-on knowledge, and she is a keen reader of political developments. An indispensable contribution.' * Juan Cole, Professor of History and Director, Center for Middle East and North African Studies, University of Michigan *'This short and elegantly written book manages the extraordinarily difficult feat of presenting the reader with a lucid introduction to Shiism in the Middle East that is at the same time full of penetrating insights. - Dealing with Shiism in the Middle East as a whole, Louer's book looks at the sect's political transformation after the Islamic Revolution and the fall of Baathist Iraq, paying particular attention to the changing role of the clergy, the rise of lay authorities, and transnational patterns of religious thought and practice that cannot be divided by neatly marked national categories.' * Faisal Devji, author of The Terrorist in Search of Humanity *'An impressive historical sociological overview, - Shiism and Politics in the Middle East is a welcome addition to academic research on Shia movements beyond Iran that offers valuable insight and incredible detail, accessible to scholars, policymakers, and general audiences interested in the topic. [The book] provides a strong springboard and opening new avenues for future research into a timely and important issue.' * Ioana Emy Matesan, Syracuse University, H-Net Reviews in the Humanities & Social Sciences *

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Book SynopsisIn Advice for the Sultan Neguin Yavari excavates multiple, conflicting strands of Islamic political thought from the medieval past to the present, reassessing these ideas and their impact over the longue duree. Her aim is to revise our understanding of the relation- ship between modern history and the current master narratives of both Western and Islamic histories of political thought. She does this by re-examinating Islamic advice literature, bringing it to life in novel ways. Yavari argues that if read laterally and closely, it promotes secular values such as reason and moderation as the most effective safeguard against political instability and divine rebuke. Related questions raised in this book include, can Islamic political thought be folded into the discipline of intellectual history? How do we write the history of political thought when its end-product is not seen as the march of a manifest destiny, or progressive secularisation, or the promotion of liberal values, such as is the case with the Islamic world today? Is it possible to read texts for context if the values adumbrated in them do not take hold in society, or to study those that produce political communities that differ radically from those that emerged in eighteenth- and the nineteenth-century Europe?Trade ReviewThis will be an important and even path-breaking book on Muslim political thought, one that is conceptually sophisticated and rigorous in its scholarship. -- Faisal Devji, University of Oxford, author of, inter alia, Landscapes of the Jihad: Militancy, Morality, Modernity (Hurst)Advice for the Sultan is a startlingly fresh exploration of the interconnectedness of classical and early medieval mirrors for princes, and a subtle reconstruction of context from text, to reveal the "hidden political messages" that lie at the heart of Nizam al-Mulk's higher purpose. -- John Gurney, Wadham College, OxfordThis novel reading of the rich and complex tradition of political thought offers the intriguing experience of discovering how common values, intentions and judgments connect contemporary political horizons with the Islamic past. -- Stefan Leder, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Martin Luther University and Director of the Orient-Institut BeirutThis is an important and stimulating re-examination of the enormous range of royal Advice literature in the pre-modern Middle East. Neguin Yavari makes a convincing case for a new, nuanced contextual approach. This marks a signal contribution to the study of the history of Islamic political thought. -- Antony Black, Emeritus Professor, Politics and International Relations, University of Dundee[This] is an admirably thorough account of the [Islamicate] advice literature that the author has studied for years, but is outstanding and relevant well beyond its field in its attempts to rethink how intellectual history outside of the West should be pursued. ... Yavari ... explores the texts' rhetorical strategies to get at the thought behind them. By engaging robustly with structure and rhetoric across centuries of material, she offers a compelling portrait of a tradition of political philosophy and its forms of literary expression, providing an unprecedented synthetic analysis of what authors within this tradition were trying to convey to their readers. She strikes the right balance of historical contextualisation with rhetorical analysis, providing a model for how we might approach other pre-modern systematic disciplines such as philology, which map awkwardly onto modern academic disciplines. -- Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

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Book SynopsisLong a taboo topic, as well as one that has alarmed outside powers, sectarian conflict in the Middle East is on the rise. The contributors to this book examine sectarian politics in the Persian Gulf, including the GCC states, Yemen, Iran and Iraq, and consider the origins and con- sequences of sectarianism broadly construed, as it affects ethnic, tribal and religious groups. They also present a theoretical and comparative framework for understanding sectarianism, as well as country-specific chapters based on recent research in the area. Key issues that are scrutinised include the nature of sectarianism, how identity moves from a passive to an active state, and the mechanisms that trigger conflict. The strategies of governments such as rentier economies and the 'invention' of partisan national histories that encourage or manage sectarian differences are also highlighted, as is the role of outside powers in fostering sectarian strife. The volume also seeks to clarify whether movements such as the Islamic revival or the Arab Spring obscure the continued salience of religious and ethnic cleavages. Published in collaboration with: Georgetown University Center for International and Regional Studies School of Foreign Service in Qatar.Trade Review'This is a masterfully produced collection of richly researched essays on one of the Middle East's hottest topics. With the sectarian card now played, even in the richest of oil monarchies, has Pandora's Box been opened up?' * Christopher Davidson, author of After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies *'A timely contribution to understanding sectarianism on both sides of the Persian Gulf. The contributors are well-established historians and social scientists who offer nuanced interpretations of a malaise, at once contemporary and ancient, which threatens to redraw the region's political map. The result is an erudite exploration of the meaning of sectarianism in the context of old nations, and in newly forged ones - weaving local political contexts with transnational connections and outside interventions - which all seem to have escalated sectarian divides against a background of negotiated and fluid identities. The book paints a compelling picture of past and present coexistence and conflict.' * Madawi Al-Rasheed, Visiting Professor at the Middle East Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science *'This superb collection of essays breaks new ground in the study of the politics of sectarian identity in the Gulf. Integrating country case-studies with wider regional developments, the authors analyse the roots of - and the upsurge in - ethnic and sectarian conflict across the region. This book should be required reading for students and practitioners looking to understand the forces reshaping much of the Middle East and framing recent policy responses to the Arab Spring.' * Kristian Coates-Ulrichsen, author of Insecure Gulf: The End of Certainty and the Transition to the Post-Oil Era *

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Book SynopsisOlivier Roy, world-renowned authority on Islam and politics, finds in the modern disconnection between faith communities and socio-cultural identities a fertile space for fundamentalism to grow. Instead of freeing the world from religion, secularization has encouraged a kind of holy ignorance to take root, an anti-intellectualism that promises immediate, emotional access to the sacred and positions itself in direct opposition to contemporary pagan culture. The secularization of society was supposed to free people from religion, yet individuals are converting en masse to fundamentalist faiths, such as Protestant evangelicalism, Islamic Salafism, and Haredi Judaism. These religions either reconnect adherents to their culture through casual referents, like halal fast food, or maintain their momentum through purification rituals, such as speaking in tongues, a practice that allows believers to utter a language that is entirely their own. Instead of a return to traditional religious worship, we are now witnessing the individualization of faith and the disassociation of faith communities from ethnic and national identities. Roy explores the options now available to powers that hope to integrate or control these groups; and whether marginalization or homogenization will further divide believers from their culture.Trade ReviewOlivier Roy, the outstanding scholar of contemporary religions, has written a book of startling clarity and wisdom. Illuminating trends, issues and movements that had before appeared bizarre or simply antipathetic, he provides us with tools for the comprehension of matters as diverse as coverage of the war on terror to the common individual confusion over one's own beliefs and scepticisms. * Financial Times *'Holy Ignorance' is in a way a synthesis of all Roy's previous work on the sociology of religion. It formulates forcefully the thesis that has been taking shape throughout his previous works: in a globalised world, religion thrives to the extent that it has severed its ties with culture. This de-culturation . . . of religions explains their revival, and much of our difficulties in understanding them. . . . It is certainly an important book that is written in an easy, accessible language fit for a wide audience . . . Roy's erudition is simply flabbergasting, and it has the merit of making his book very concrete, very vivid. -- Nicholas Guilhot, New York UniversityRoy's central theses about the way religion is going in today's world (a breathtakingly ambitious exercise to be sure) could, and deserve to, reset . . . debates about secularization and secularism, and give birth to creative new departures in theory and research. -- David Lehmann, Cambridge UniversityOver the past few years, a number of theories have been offered about the rise of fundamentalism. The brilliant French social scientist Roy proposes the most original - and the most persuasive. Fundamentalism, in his view, is a symptom of, rather than a reaction against, the increasing secularization of society. Whether it takes the form of the Christian right in the United States or Salafist purity in the Muslim world, fundamentalism is not about restoring a more authentic and deeply spiritual religious experience. It is instead a manifestation of holy ignorance, Roy's biting term meant to characterize the worldview of those who, having lost both their theology and their roots, subscribe to ideas as incoherent as they are ultimately futile. The most important thing to know about those urging the restoration of a lost religious authenticity is that they are sustained by the very forces they denounce. * The New York Times *Above all else, Mr. Roy is able to show us vividly how much has changed with the secularization that Weber predicted . . . how formerly Christian societies have lost a sense of their own religious foundation... By transforming itself into another instrument of therapeutic . . . satisfaction, Mr. Roy observes, religion risks losing its soul. * Wall Street Journal *an erudite account of intricate relationships between religion and other markers of identity, including nationality, socially defined race, language, class, political ideology, generation, gender and sexual orientation. * Times Literary Supplement *A highly complex book that critically examines the relationship between religion, culture and globalization, 'Holy Ignorance' provides theoretical keys to unlocking the riddle of the religious imagination and the 'deculturation' of religious movements in the modern world. Few scholars of religion are as qualified as Olivier Roy to write such an erudite work on religious and cultural trends, to contextualize them and to make sense of them. -- Fawaz A. Gerges, Professor and Chair of Middle Eastern Politics and International Relations, London School of EconomicsWith 'Holy Ignorance' Olivier Roy moves beyond his established perch as one of contemporary Islam's foremost scholars to train his formidable analytical skills on the question of globalization's broader impact on religion. The result is a tour de force of comparative religious sociology, and represents required reading for anyone seeking to understand the relationship between faith, culture, and the market. -- Peter Mandaville, George Mason University and author of 'Global Political Islam'Firmly rooted in the uncompromisingly laique tradition of French sociology, Roy serves his sweet and sour soup of secularism, a peculiar melange of empirical history and normative history, in the chalice of postmodernity, proclaiming globalization as the only universal faith of our times. * The Muslim World Book Review *'Holy Ignorance' offers an impressive insight and a significant contribution to the field of religious sociology by addressing the second scheme of secularization that will have an enduring influence on the global discourse regarding the issue of the role of religion in our modern world. -- Abdullahi A. Gallab, Sociology of ReligionAn intriguing thesis slithers through this impressively profuse and promiscuous garden of sociohistorical erudition. Religion is not experiencing a comeback, the renowned scholar of political Islam argues, but a significant transformation brought about by the secularization intended to marginalize and diminish it. -- Michael P. Kramer, Common Knowledge

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Book SynopsisWestern democracies are experiencing a new wave of right-wing populism that seeks to mobilise religion for its own ends. With chapters on the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland and Israel, Saving the People asks how populist movements have used religion for their own ends and how Church leaders react to them. The authors contend that religion is more about belonging than belief for populists, with religious identities and traditions being deployed to define who can and cannot be part of 'the people'. This in turn helps many populists to claim that native Christian communities are being threatened by a creeping and highly aggressive process of Islamisation, with Muslims becoming a key, if not the, 'enemy of the people'. While Church elites generally condemn this instrumental use of religions, populists take little heed, presenting themselves as the true saviours of the people. The policy implications of this phenomenon are significant, which makes this book all the more timely and relevant to current debate.Trade Review'Compelling and hugely ambitious, this book should be read by everyone'.'Vox Populi, Vox Dei? In the increasingly saturated market of populism books, Saving the People addresses one of the few important black spots: the relationship between religion and populism. A must-read for anyone interested in politics in contemporary western democracies.' * Cas Mudde, School of Public and International Affairs at University of Georgia and Center for Research on Extremism at University of Oslo *'This book explores the relationship of right-wing populism with religion. It shows how these parties have "hijacked" religion, using it not as a set of belief but as an identity marker, to strengthen the border between 'us' and 'them'. And in eight of the ten cases studied, Islam is the target. A major and challenging contribution to the understanding of Western populism.' * Nonna Mayer, Research Director at CNRS, Centre d'etudes europeennes de Sciences Po *

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Book SynopsisAnalysis of both official and opposition Saudi divine politics is often monolithic, conjuring images of conservatism, radicalism, misogyny and resistance to democracy. Madawi Al-Rasheed challenges this stereotype as she examines a long tradition of engaging with modernism that gathered momentum with the Arab uprisings and incurred the wrath of both the regime and its Wahhabi supporters. With this nascent modernism, constructions of new divine politics, anchored in a rigorous reinterpretation of foundational Islamic texts and civil society activism are emerging in a context where authoritarian rule prefers its advocates to remain muted. The author challenges scholarly wisdom on Islamism in general and blurs the boundaries between secular and religious politics.Trade Review'In this latest publication, the increasingly prolific Madawi al-Rasheed demonstrates again why she is one of the foremost authorities on developments in Saudi Arabia. Muted Modernists not only challenges one-dimensional portrayals of Islamists, it also shows an ability to look behind the scenes of superficial media coverage and identify issues that often go unnoticed, but which are affecting the social fabric of what remains one of the most poorly understood countries in the Muslim world. Forceful in her conclusions, her findings evince a subtle understanding of the complexity of Saudi society. She offers valuable insights that should not be ignored by anyone with a genuine interest in one of the major players in Middle Eastern politics.' * Carool Kersten, Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam & the Muslim World, King's College London, and author of Islam in Indonesia: The Contest for Society, Values and Ideas *'Madawi Al-Rasheed demonstrates here, as she has in her past works, that the intellectual and political scene in Saudi Arabia is much more diverse and argumentative than the conventional view would have it. Despite an authoritarian government that clamps down on even the hint of critical political speech, a religious establishment that rejects modernist reinterpretations of Islam and a general public that has not yet mobilised in large numbers for political change, there is an active intellectual debate among Saudis about what their religion means for their politics. Al-Rasheed captures a part of that debate that most outsiders could easily miss. No one writing in English follows the Saudi political scene more closely and more critically than she does.' * F. Gregory Gause, III, Bush School of Government, Texas A&M University *'Islamism is a piebald, elusive form of religious politics in the modern Middle East. Saudi Arabia is a key player, yet until now no one has shown how notable Saudi scholars, many of them marginal to traditional networks but with access to social media, are reshaping Islamism within the Kingdom. Written by the foremost scholar of dissident political movements in Saudi Arabia, this book is a must read for policy mavens and students of international affairs as well as Middle East specialists from all disciplines' - * Bruce Lawrence, Professor of Islamic Studies Emeritus, Duke University, and author of Who is Allah? *'Western (and Saudi) categories of 'radical' and 'moderate' fail to capture the intensely fluid politics in Saudi Arabia of Islamist modernists who publicly challenge the religious roots of authoritarianism and advocate the emergence of genuine civil society. At great personal risk, especially after 2011, Saudi youth and intellectuals have sought, often via Twitter and other new media, to shape the debates over the direction that Saudi society should take. Muted Modernists is a must-read for understanding Saudi Arabia today and for asking better questions about turmoil in neighbouring states.' * Dale F. Eickelman, co-author of Muslim Politics *'A highly critical and informative inside-out study of Saudi society, Muted Modernists gives voice to Saudi youth and public intellectuals who struggle, against great odds, to shape the debates about the future direction of their country. Al-Rasheed expands the intellectual lens through which to view Saudi Arabia, and shatters the notion of Saudi uniformity and exceptionalism. A must read.' * Fawaz A. Gerges, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics *

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Book SynopsisFaithonomics uses economic theory to provide a new and unorthodox view of religion in today's world. Drawing on state-of-the-art research and on case studies from around the globe, this book shows that religion should be analysed as a market similar to markets for other goods and services, like bottled water or haircuts. Faithonomics is about today's religious markets, but in sweeping detours through the histories of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, Brekke shows us the religious markets of the past, although these were sometimes heavily regulated by states. He argues that government 'control' over religious markets is often the cause of unforeseen and negative consequences. Many of today's problems related to religion, like religious terrorism or rent-seeking by religious political parties, are easier to understand if we think like economists. Religious markets work best when they are relatively free. Religious organisations should be free to sell their products without unnecessary restrictions, but we have no good reason to grant them privileges in the form of subsidies or tax-breaks.Trade Review'At a time when debate about religion is often dominated by talk of clashing ideologies, Faithonomics offers a refreshing set of tools for liberals to defend religious freedom.' -- The Financial Times'[Brekke] has enthusiastically and provocatively adopted an economic perspective on religion.' -- Times Higher Education'Religion and economics are usually regarded as separate domains, except for religious injunctions that prescribe or proscribe certain forms of economic behavior. In this unusual book, Brekke applies economic concepts--supply and demand, public versus private goods, oligopoly versus free markets, and so on--to the provision of the religious services offered by several faiths.' -- Foreign Affairs'Vibrant examples and the absence of unnecessary jargon make the book accessible to a wide audience of scholars, students, and policy wonks. Both supporters and critics will find Faithonomics to be rich in ideas and deserving of thoughtful consideration.' -- Sociology of Religion'The magic and brilliance of Brekke's Faithonomics is that little by little, the author breaks down the reader's reflex resistance to his argument (who, after all, intuitively thinks about their religious faith in economic terms?). By the end of this elegantly written book, he actually manages to sell it!' -- Aakash Singh, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, JNU University (New Delhi) and LUISS University (Rome)'This book challenges the notion that communities of faith are static and insular ... Using economic models to describe the competition of ideas in the multicultural marketplace, it presents a thesis that readers will find both startling and controversial, but difficult to ignore. This may become one of the most discussed books in religion in our time.' -- Mark Juergensmeyer, Professor, Global and International Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, and co-author of God in the Tumult of the Global Square'A provocative and compelling book, not only about religion in the US but about religion universally. Brekke makes a good case for looking at religion as a commodity best left to the free market, the better to pacify violence associated with religion and to ensure quality in the provision of spiritual guidance to adherents/consumers. Clearly and concisely written, this is an important contribution to our understanding of how government and religion intersect.' -- David True, Chair, Philosophy and Religion Department Assistant Professor of Religion, Wilson College, PA and co-editor of Political Theology'Provocative and unconventional, this engaging book challenges dominant assumptions about religion as a public good in modern life, asserting that government involvement in religious markets produces negative consequences for society. Critical, yet accessible, Faithonomics offers an economic prescription for the proper role of religion in public life to redefine the jurisdictional limits of religion and state, in order to cultivate a more peaceful understanding of moral citizenship.' -- Chad E. Seales, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, The University of Texas at Austin

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Book SynopsisHassan Mahamdallie gets spiritual in a commune; Marco Lauri visits Ibn Tufayl's twelfth-century island utopia Hayy Ibn Yaqdan; Malise Ruthven interrogates modernity and Islamic utopias, Nazry Bahrawi is sceptical about secular utopias; and Sadek Hamid traces the rise and fall of the utopian vision of Hizb-ut-Tahrir. Also in this issue: orientalist utopias in Andalusia, feminist futures, and was the Prophet's Medina a utopia? Not forgetting poems, short stories, the Last Word and the List.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

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Book SynopsisWith the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, a major turning point in all former Soviet republics, Central Asian and Caucasian countries began to reflect on their history and identities. As a consequence of their opening up to the global exchange of ideas, various strains of Islam and trends in Islamic thought have nourished the Islamic revival that had already started in the context of glasnost and perestroika -- from Turkey, Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, and from the Indian subcontinent; the four regions with strong ties to Central Asian and Caucasian Islam in the years before Soviet occupation. Bayram Balci seeks to analyse how these new Islamic influences have reached local societies and how they have interacted with pre-existing religious belief and practice. Combining exceptional erudition with rare first-hand research, Balci’s book provides a sophisticated account of both the internal dynamics and external influences in the evolution of Islam in the region.Trade Review‘[Islam in Central Asia and the Caucasus Since the Fall of the Soviet Union] is an ambitious yet concise account of the evolution of Islam in the Muslim-majority former Soviet republics, namely the five Central Asian states and Azerbaijan. … [the book is] a valuable resource for both students and scholars of the region.’ -- Europe-Asia Studies'An important contribution to the field of contemporary Islamic studies in this region.' -- Reading Religion'A sophisticated account of the evolution of Islam in Central Asia and Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Balci's nuanced analysis reveals a region marked by great diversity and innovativeness.' -- Adeeb Khalid * Professor of Asian Studies and History, Carleton College *'Sheds new light on little-known but powerful movements, namely Saudi and Indian Wahhabism, Tablighi Jamaat and the Gülen movement.' -- Thierry Zarcone

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Book SynopsisOlivier Roy, world-renowned authority on Islam and politics, finds in the modern disconnection between faith communities and socio-cultural identities a fertile space for fundamentalism to grow. Instead of freeing the world from religion, secularization has encouraged a kind of holy ignorance to take root, an anti-intellectualism that promises immediate, emotional access to the sacred and positions itself in direct opposition to contemporary pagan culture. The secularization of society was supposed to free people from religion, yet individuals are converting en masse to fundamentalist faiths, such as Protestant evangelicalism, Islamic Salafism, and Haredi Judaism. These religions either reconnect adherents to their culture through casual referents, like halal fast food, or maintain their momentum through purification rituals, such as speaking in tongues, a practice that allows believers to utter a language that is entirely their own. Instead of a return to traditional religious worship, we are now witnessing the individualization of faith and the disassociation of faith communities from ethnic and national identities. Roy explores the options now available to powers that hope to integrate or control these groups; and whether marginalization or homogenization will further divide believers from their culture.Trade ReviewOlivier Roy, the outstanding scholar of contemporary religions, has written a book of startling clarity and wisdom. Illuminating trends, issues and movements that had before appeared bizarre or simply antipathetic, he provides us with tools for the comprehension of matters as diverse as coverage of the war on terror to the common individual confusion over one's own beliefs and scepticisms.'-Financial Times 'Holy Ignorance is in a way a synthesis of all Roy's previous work on the sociology of religion. It formulates forcefully the thesis that has been taking shape throughout his previous works: in a globalised world, religion thrives to the extent that it has severed its ties with culture. This de-culturationA" of religions explains their revival, and much of our difficulties in understanding them. - It is certainly an important book that is written in an easy, accessible language fit for a wide audience - Roy's erudition is simply flabbergasting, and it has the merit of making his book very concrete, very vivid.' -- Nicholas Guilhot, New York University 'Roy's central theses about the way religion is going in today's world (a breathtakingly ambitious exercise to be sure) could, and deserve to, resetA" debates about secularization and secularism, and give birth to creative new departures in theory and research.' -- David Lehmann, Cambridge University 'Over the past few years, a number of theories have been offered about the rise of fundamentalism. The brilliant French social scientist Roy proposes the most original - and the most persuasive. Fundamentalism, in his view, is a symptom of, rather than a reaction against, the increasing secularization of society. Whether it takes the form of the Christian right in the United States or Salafist purity in the Muslim world, fundamentalism is not about restoring a more authentic and deeply spiritual religious experience. It is instead a manifestation of holy ignorance, Roy's biting term meant to characterize the worldview of those who, having lost both their theology and their roots, subscribe to ideas as incoherent as they are ultimately futile. The most important thing to know about those urging the restoration of a lost religious authenticity is that they are sustained by the very forces they denounce.'-New York Times 'Above all else, Mr. Roy is able to show us vividly how much has changed with the secularization that Weber predicted-how formerly Christian societies have lost a sense of their own religious foundation... By transforming itself into another instrument of therapeuticA" satisfaction, Mr. Roy observes, religion risks losing its soul.'-Wall Street Journal 'an erudite account of intricate relationships between religion and other markers of identity, including nationality, socially defined race, language, class, political ideology, generation, gender and sexual orientation.' TLS

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Book SynopsisCurrent developments in Iran are forcing a fundamentalreassessment of the relationship between Islam and democracyand the processes of democratization in the Muslim world.While some scholars have argued that 'Islam' and 'democracy'are essentially incompatible, others have sought to portraythe advent of political Islam as a transitional phenomenonto be overcome before democratization can take root. Ansari,in tracing the historical roots of political development inIran, argues that what is in fact taking place is an intellectualsynthesis of ideas drawing from both Western and traditionalIranian norms. The author analyzes the origins and dynamicof this development, and discusses the possible consequencesfor Iran and the region, as well as Iran's relationship with thewider world. This new edition includes political developmentsin Iran since 2016. It looks at the increasing polarity of viewsand the changing nature of 'reformism' in light of successivesetbacks and growing international tensions.Trade Review"The most comprehensive account of the politics of reform in contemporary Iran . . . . there has never been a better time for a review and detailed analysis of the rise and fall of the reform movement in Iran."--Asian Review of Books

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Book SynopsisJames 'Dongaree' Baird, a boilermaker in Harland and Wolff's shipyard, was one of hundreds of 'rotten Prods', and thousands of Catholics, driven from their place of work by loyalists in 1920. The expulsions marked the end of Belfast's 'two red years', distinguished by the massive engineering strike in 1919 and the municipal elections in 1920, in which Baird was elected to Belfast Corporation. Baird's case offers a rare insight into the city's brief radicalisation, the mentality of Protestant workers who opposed the partition of Ireland, and the reasons why loyalists targeted Labour as their most insidious enemy. As a leader of the expelled workers, Baird spoke to the Irish and British TUCs, but Irish Labour had no practical policy on the North and British trade unions feared that confronting loyalists would lose them members. Subsequently, Baird worked for the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union and the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, when he led the farm labourers of Waterford in an epic strike against wage cuts and was nearly elected to Dail Eireann. In 1927 he and his family emigrated to Brisbane, Queensland, where his daughters Nora and Helene were decorated by the Australian government for services to music in schools. A compelling account of a rotten Prod and a Labour hero.Trade Review'Baird was an outstanding figure amongst the 'rotten Prods' but he represented an element of the Protestant working class who were radicalised by the political ferment of the post-war years and whose history O'Connor's book brings out of the shadows.' - Peter Connell, Sound Post, Winter 2023.; 'Emmet O'Connor has successfully retrieved a remarkable leader and his times from history's dustbin. Baird deserves to be remembered; this book should be read.' - History Ireland, March 2023.; 'His is a rare story, not just of a man too radical for Belfast but of one of the subalterns of the failed and forgotten social revolution of 1917-23.' - Belfast Telegraph, December 2022.; 'An eloquent memorial to the man Jim Larkin described as "a sober, intelligent and strangely honest and courageous spokesman for his class".' - Henry Patterson, Dublin Review of Books, December 2022.; 'Recounts the history of an exceptional man who was also typical of many Ulster Protestant trade unionists in becoming radicalised & in concluding that partition was not in the interest of the working class.' - Martin Doyle, The Irish Times, December 2022.; 'O'Connor's study offers a detailed account of the turbulent years surrounding the emergence of a partitioned Ireland, and an insight into a marginalised group of labour activists who paid a heavy price for their commitment.' - Dr Mike Mecham, Society for the Study of Labour History, January 2023.; 'Emmet O'Connor has successfully retrieved a remarkable leader and his times from history's dustbin. Baird deserves to be remembered; this book should be read.' - Niall Meehan, History Ireland, March 2023.

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Book Synopsis“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezechiel 36:26). This biblical image, particularly significant for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, gives insight into the central issues of this book: how a greater readiness to reconcile can take place among individuals and groups who experience the "suffering of the other," even in the midst of a protracted conflict such as the Israeli-Palestinian one. This book offers a collection of essays written by the team members of a transdisciplinary DFG project between Jena University, Ben Gurion University, Tel Aviv University, and the Wasatia Academic Institute.

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Book SynopsisVincent Phillip Munoz is the Tocqueville Professor of Political Science and Concurrent Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Munoz writes and teaches across the fields of constitutional law, American politics, and political philosophy.

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Book SynopsisReligion and AIDS are transforming African public and private domains. This book questions why so much of the transnational religious engagement has seemed to serve conservative values, and explores connections between Europe/North America and Africa highlighting how these carry both financial resources for HIV/AIDS work and moral values.Table of ContentsPART 1: TRANSNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CONSERVATIVE AGENDAS; PART 2: TRANSNATIONAL POWER AND LOCAL AGENCY; PART 3: TRANSNATIONAL IDEAS AND LOCAL DISCOURSES ABOUT SEXUALITY; PART 4: TRANSNATIONAL IDENTITIES AND HOMOSEXUALITY; EPILOGUE

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Book SynopsisDismissing oversimplified and politically-charged views of the politics of Shi'ite Islam, Said Amir Arjomand offers a richly researched sociological and historical study of Shi'ism and the political order of premodern Iran that exposes the roots of what became Khomeini's theocracy.Trade Review"This book deserves to be read by anyone concerned with the relationship between religion and state in Iran and Islam." - New Republic "This is an important book.... Arjomand has certainly challenged much contemporary Western scholarship and made an important contribution to the continuing debate on the subject of religion and politics in [Shi'ite] Islam." - American Historical Review "A remarkable achievement in providing a sustained, solid theoretical perspective on a massive movement in modern Islamic societies, while advancing the sociological study of Islam to an unsurpassed level.... Supported by an impressive and unprecedented analytical examination of theological and juridical texts." - Contemporary Sociology "Very illuminating.... Rich and comprehensive.... A sophisticated analysis of the history of Shi'ite influence on political action in Iran." - American Journal of Sociology"

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Book SynopsisExamines the efforts of American Catholics to thwart eugenic policies, illuminating the ways in which Catholic thought transformed the public conversation about individual rights, the role of the state, and the intersections of race, community, and family. This title deals with the history of religion, science, politics, and human rights.Trade Review"Passionately argued, engagingly written, and based on extensive research, An Image of God will be essential reading for historians of eugenics and students of Catholic activism in the United States. With this book, Sharon M. Leon fills a huge gap in the scholarly literature." (Molly Ladd-Taylor, York University)"

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Book SynopsisShows how the problem of neighbor love opens questions that are fundamental to ethical inquiry and suggest a new theological configuration of political theory. This title explores today's central historical problem: the persistence of the theological in the political.Trade Review"An important contribution to the development of new ways to think about sovereignty, otherness, materiality, and the political possibilities encased in the present.... Each essay unfolds through complex and nuanced engagements with key texts in political theology, psychoanalysis, ethics, and contemporary philosophy." (Political Theory)"

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Book SynopsisDraws on theorists such as Carl Schmitt, Leo Strauss, Walter Benjamin, and Hannah Arendt and their readings of Shakespeare, Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Spinoza to illustrate that the dialogue between these modern and early modern figures can help us rethink the contemporary problem of political theology.Trade Review"As we, in late modernity, grapple with our own theological-political predicament, Victoria Kahn fearlessly interrogates early twentieth-century engagements with many of the early modern authors who gave the religion-politics dilemma its definitive form. Kahn's interpretive moves and conclusions are always enlightening and often exciting. The Future of Illusion is a timely, erudite, and well-argued book that will be an important intervention into contemporary debates over political theology." (John P. McCormick, University of Chicago)"

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Book SynopsisFaced with widespread reports of religious persecution, public and private actors around the world have responded with laws and policies designed to promote freedom of religion. What are the cultural and epistemological assumptions underlying this response, and what forms of politics are enabled in the process?

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Book SynopsisFaced with widespread reports of religious persecution, public and private actors around the world have responded with laws and policies designed to promote freedom of religion. What are the cultural and epistemological assumptions underlying this response, and what forms of politics are enabled in the process?

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Book SynopsisAmericans have long acknowledged a connection between evangelical religion and democracy in the early days of the republic. The author demolishes the idea that evangelical growth in the early republic was the cheerful product of enthusiasm for democracy, and creates for us a very different narrative of influence and ideals in the young republic.

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Book SynopsisPolitical theology is a distinctly modern problem, one that takes shape in some of the most important theoretical writings of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This book assembles scholars to examine the role played by sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature and thought in modern conceptions of political theology.

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Book SynopsisReveals how the figural Jew can function as a critical mechanism that exposes the political dangers of mythic allegiance, whether couched in universalizing or particularizing terms. This title provides a consideration of Jewish identity, modern Jewish thought, and continental philosophy.Trade Review"In The Figural Jew, Sarah Hammerschlag deftly brings together intellectual history, literary analysis, and philosophical argument in a wonderfully insightful and engaging account of the role the figure of the Jew plays within twentieth-century French philosophy. She also makes a vital philosophical contribution to contemporary debates about ethics, alterity, and politics." - Amy Hollywood, Harvard Divinity School"

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Book SynopsisFor generations Islamic and Western intellectuals and policymakers have debated Islam's compatibility with democratic government, usually with few solid conclusions. But whereBrandon Kendhammer asks in this bookhave the voices of ordinary, working-class Muslims been in this conversation? Doesn't the fate of democracy rest in their hands? Visiting with community members in northern Nigeria, he tells the complex story of the stunning return of democracy to a country that has also embraced Shariah law and endured the radical religious terrorism of Boko Haram. Kendhammer argues that despite Nigeria's struggles with jihadist insurgency, its recent history is really one of tenuous and fragile reconciliation between mass democratic aspirations and concerted popular efforts to preserve Islamic values in government and law. Combining an innovative analysis of Nigeria's Islamic and political history with visits to the living rooms of working families, he sketches how this reconciliation has been constructed in the conversations, debates, and everyday experiences of Nigerian Muslims. In doing so, he uncovers valuable new lessonsones rooted in the real politics of ordinary lifefor how democracy might work alongside the legal recognition of Islamic values, a question that extends far beyond Nigeria and into the Muslim world at large.

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, the rise of fundamentalism and a related turn to religion in the humanities have led to a powerful resurgence of interest in the problem of political theology. In a critique of this contemporary fascination with the theological underpinnings of modern politics, Victoria Kahn proposes a return to secularismwhose origins she locates in the art, literature, and political theory of the early modern periodand argues in defense of literature and art as a force for secular liberal culture. Kahn draws on theorists such as Carl Schmitt, Leo Strauss, Walter Benjamin, and Hannah Arendt and their readings of Shakespeare, Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Spinoza to illustrate that the dialogue between these modern and early modern figures can help us rethink the contemporary problem of political theology. Twentieth-century critics, she shows, saw the early modern period as a break from the older form of political theology that entailed the theological legitimization of the state. Rather

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Book SynopsisDifferences among religious communities have motivated - and continue to motivate - many of the deadliest conflicts in human history. But how did political power and organized religion become so thoroughly intertwined? This book focuses on the big three monotheisms - Judaism, Islam, and Christianity - to consider such questions.Trade Review"Iyigun has written a fascinating and detail-rich book on the links between religion, economic growth, and conflict over a broad swath of history. War, Peace, and Prosperity in the Name of God will appeal to scholars in a number of fields, including history, political economy, and religious studies, as well as being of interest to the broader public intrigued by the historical origins of differences in modern-day development." (Jacob N. Shapiro, Princeton University)

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Book SynopsisExplores how Pentecostalism presents the experience of being born again as a chance for Nigerians to realize the promises of political and religious salvation made during the colonial and post colonial eras. This book sheds light on Nigeria's politics, and the everyday struggles of ordinary citizens coping with poverty, and inequality.Trade Review"This is one of the most original works in the social sciences that I've read in several years. Through her energetic prose, exceptional fieldwork, and mastery of the scientific literature, Marshall offers a new perspective on religious actions and social and political transformations in sub-Saharan Africa, while also making a major contribution to the historical and comparative sociology of religion." - Jean-Francois Bayart, author of The Illusion of Cultural Identity"

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Book SynopsisA polemic against the provision of the US tax code that prohibits political speech on the part of nonprofitsand, specifically, in this case, churchesarguing that it is an unconstitutional infringement of speech that has been deliberately used to suppress the views and power of religious activists.Trade Review"While there are many books about the role of religion and politics and a large literature on the constitutional implications of tax exemptions and the regulation of nonprofits, none bring these topics together like Hamburger's sophisticated, original, and compelling arguments. Hamburger persuasively argues that this seemingly modest provision in the tax code actually has important implications for constitutional law, religious freedom, and the development of American liberalism."--Ilya Somin, author of The Grasping Hand: "Kelo v. City of New London" and the Limits of Eminent Domain "Liberal Suppression develops and argues vehemently for a point of view underrepresented in recent literature on the tax topics that it addresses. It will enliven and (in a good way) unsettle those debates."--Daniel N. Shaviro, New York University

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Book SynopsisA Trios volume that addresses the question of church and state in three different contexts: nineteenth-century Brazil, early Canada, and contemporary American courtrooms.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most distinctive aspects of our politics today is the sorting of religious and non-religious voters into different parties; Margolis shows that this is more an effect of partisan sorting than a cause.Trade Review"Anyone interested in the outsized role played by religion in American politics should read this book. So should anyone who doubts that politics and religion are deeply intertwined, as it will put those doubts to rest. In analyzing the connections, Margolis flips conventional wisdom on its head. Rather than the common assumption that religious beliefs shape people's political views, she brilliantly demonstrates that for many Americans, their political views shape their religious identity. Quite simply, this book sets a new standard for the study of religion and politics--theoretically rich, empirically innovative, and beautifully written."--David E. Campbell, University of Notre Dame "There are no other books like From Politics to the Pews, with its original and persuasive argument that the relationship between political partisanship and religious identity is a reciprocal one. Margolis has added much to the research on partisan conflict and polarization."--Robert Y. Shapiro, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisThe United States has long been defined by its religious diversity and recurrent public debates over the religious and political values that define it. In Accidental Pluralism, Evan Haefeli argues that America did not begin as a religiously diverse and tolerant society. It became so only because England's religious unity collapsed just as America was being colonized. By tying the emergence of American religious toleration to global events, Haefeli creates a true transnationalist history that links developing American realities to political and social conflicts and resolutions in Europe, showing how the relationships among states, churches, and publics were contested from the beginning of the colonial era and produced a society that no one had anticipated. Accidental Pluralism is an ambitious and comprehensive new account of the origins of American religious life that compels us to refine our narratives about what came to be seen as American values and their distinct relationship to religion and politics.Trade Review"An impressive, important, powerful, and sweeping book that few scholars could have written." * Journal of Early American History *"Accidental Pluralism challenges the popular notion that puritans saw America as a refuge. . . . Haefeli offers a new explanation of how religious pluralism worked its way into English colonies in North America and the Caribbean in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries." * Australasian Journal of American Studies *"Accidental Pluralism is brimming with fascinating details about more than a century and a half of English, Scottish, and Irish colonial enterprises, arguably more of them stillborn than successful. And he does a consistently effective job situating these projects with the contentious politics of early modern Britain. The effect is often kaleidoscopic, as patterns of common religious policies and imperatives appear among the various locales for a moment before dissipating into difference and fragmentation." * H-Early America *"[A] rich and ranging study. . . . Accidental Pluralism is a well-written and useful book that grapples with the common religious and political dynamic underlying the disparate efforts of early modern British imperialism. It will be of real value to students and scholars alike." * H-Net *"Origin stories of the United States often highlight religious freedom as a foundational pillar of the earliest English settlers. But Haefeli tells a more complex story in Accidental Pluralism. In this ambitious contribution to the origins of American religious tolerance, Haefeli argues that religious diversity was rarely the hoped-for goal of English expansion in the Atlantic. Rather, toleration arose of necessity from the collapse of political control over the English state church in the highly contested landscape of early modern religious conflict." * New Books Network *“An important study.” * Pennsylvania Literary Journal *“An eye-opening narrative of the many versions of church-and-state attempted or imagined during the great age of British colonization in the Caribbean and North America—a narrative uprooting the assumption that a straight line runs from those attempts to post-1789 schemes to separate church and state. Accidental Pluralism will surprise and probably enchant most students of early American history.” * David D. Hall, author of A Reforming People: Puritanism and the Transformation of Public Life in New England *“Accidental Pluralism is an outstanding piece of research, encyclopedic in scope. It has a unique and important point of view that needs to be taken seriously by all scholars of early American religion, of toleration and religious liberty, and of the early English empire in general.” * Ned Landsman, author of Crossroads of Empire: The Middle Colonies in the British Atlantic *“A sweeping, grand narrative, which exemplifies Atlantic history at its best. Haefeli chronicles the halting, often unintended, spread of spiritual diversity throughout the English-speaking colonies, and in the process delivers what is in many ways a new, overarching religious history of the early British empire.” * David Como, author of Radical Parliamentarians and the English Civil War *"Perhaps of most value, is that Haefeli’s broadening the narrative’s perspective without ignoring or dismissing local circumstances, has laid a new path through an often overwhelmingly complex historiography that scholars of this era should find useful." * Journal of Church and State *Table of ContentsIntroductionPart 1: Tudor-Stuart Foundations, 1497–ca. 1607 1. Colonization: Religion, Expansion, Guiana, and Slavery 2. Conformity: Religious Change, Obedience, and Virginia 3. Jurisdiction: Ireland, Scotland, and the Limits of Authority 4. Dissent: English Papists, Puritans, and OthersPart 2: Jacobean Balance, ca. 1607–1625 5. Balance: Virginia, Bermuda, Newfoundland, ca. 1607–1618 6. Polarization: Plymouth, Avalon, Nova Scotia, New England, 1618–1625Part 3: Caroline Transformation, 1625–1638 7. Favorites: Saint Christopher, Barbados, Maryland, 1624–1632 8. Puritans: New England, Providence Island, the Leewards, 1629–1638 9. Catholics: Montserrat, New Albion, Maryland, 1632–1638Part 4: Civil Wars, 1638–1649 10. Fragmentation: Rhode Island, Madras, Trinidad, 1638–1643 11. Toleration: New England, Bermuda, Madagascar, 1643–1646 12. Revolution: New England, the Bahamas, Barbados, the Leewards, 1647–1649Part 5: Commonwealth, 1649–1660 13. Republic: New England, the Caribbean, Acadia, 1649–1654 14. Empire: Surinam, Barbados, Jamaica, Dunkirk, 1654–1660 Conclusion Acknowledgments Abbreviations Note on Transcriptions, Dates, Sources, and Terminology Notes Index

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