Religion and politics Books

Book SynopsisIf you suspect the Biblical writers were onto something, but aren't convinced by the sentimental religion-of-love talk you hear so much nowadays, then maybe you will find hope reading this book. Did you know that the Creation Myths in the Bible were copied from earlier Mesopotamian myths? Or that the Moses story was based on a bloke called Sargon? Or that the story of Job is all to do with politics? Or that the two loaves, five fishes and the number 153 have symbolic meanings? These are just a few of the issues addressed in this controversial book which is not for people who like their God as Indefinable Mystery.Trade ReviewKathy Galloway - Andrew Parker s readings of familiar biblical texts as presenting a marginal, political, ideological Hebrew worldview, profoundly in opposition to the status quo (then and now both) is contentious, illuminating and genuinely challenging. He stimulates in his readers; dialogue and questioning, sometimes agreement and often fury, but always passionate engagement. This in itself makes this book worth reading. But it is, equally, a valuable discipline in struggling to SEE from a very different perspective than the one we usually allow ourselves when reading the Bible.

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Book SynopsisWith eighty percent of the world's population professing religious faith, religious belief is a common human characteristic. This fascinating and highly unique Handbook brings together state-of-the-art research on incorporating religion into development studies literature and research.The expert contributors illustrate that as religious identity is integral to a community's culture, exclusion of religious consideration will limit successful development interventions; it is therefore necessary to conflate religion and development to enhance efforts to improve the lives of the poor. Issues addressed include: key tenets, beliefs and histories of religions; religious response to development concerns (gender, environment, education, microfinance, humanitarian assistance); and the role of faith based organizations and missionaries in the wider development context. Practical case studies of countries across Africa, Eastern Europe and the Pacific (including Australia) underpin the research, providing evidence that the intersection between religion and development is neither new nor static. By way of conclusion, suggestions are prescribed for extensive further research in order to advance understanding of this nascent field.This path-breaking Handbook will prove a thought-provoking and stimulating reference tool for academics, researchers and students in international development, international relations, comparative religion and theology.Contributors: N.A. Alolo, J. Anderson, M. Bano, L. Bi, S. Bradbury, G. Buchanan, M. Clarke, J.A. Connell, B. De Cordier, S. Deneulin, I. Fanany, R. Fanany, X. Fang, S.T. Flanigan, F. Helmiere, G. Hoffstaedter, R. Ireland, M. Jennings, H. Marquette, J. Miller, C. Moe-Lobeda, Y. Narayanan, I. Nolte, L. Rae, J. Rees, P. Riddell, A.W. Sanford, M. Sharpe, C. Starkey, J. Sweet, D.S. Tatla, D. Tittensor, E. Tomalin, A. Ware, V.-A. Ware, J. Wills, A. YuminaTable of ContentsContents: 1. Understanding the Nexus between Religion and Development Matthew Clarke PART I: RELIGIOUS FAITH AND DEVELOPMENT 2. Islam as Aid and Development Peter Riddell 3. Buddhism and Development Emma Tomalin and Caroline Starkey 4. Christianity and International Development Séverine Deneulin 5. Judaism – A Cry for Justice Matthew Clarke 6. Hinduism and Development A. Whitney Sanford 7. Sikhism and Development: A Perfect Match? Darshan S. Tatla 8. Daoism and Development James Miller 9. Confucianism Xiangshu Fang and Lijun Bi 10. Indigenous Religions and Development: African Traditional Religion Namawu Alhassan Alolo and James Astley Connell 11. Name It and Claim It: Prosperity Gospel and the Global Pentecostal Reformation Matthew Sharpe PART II: DEVELOPMENT ISSUES/THEMES AND RELIGION 13. Gender, Religion and Development Emma Tomalin 14. Moral Power at the Religion–Development–Environment Nexus Cynthia Moe-Lobeda with Frederica Helmiere 15. Corruption, Religion and Moral Development Heather Marquette 16. Islamic Education: Historical Evolution and Attempts at Reform Masooda Bano 17. Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Development Shawn Teresa Flanigan 18. Religion in the Policy Domains of International Financial Institutions John Rees 19. A Sustainable Islamic Microfinance Model in Poverty Alleviation Aimatul Yumina 20. Religion and Post-Disaster Development Ismet Fanany and Rebecca Fanany 21. Religious Symbolism and the Politics of Urban Space Development Yamini Narayanan 22. Cultural Heritage and Development in South East Asia Jonathan Sweet and Jo Wills PART III: FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND MISSION 23. ‘Do Not Turn Away a Poor Man’: Faith-based Organizations and Development Michael Jennings 24. ‘Pan-Islamism’ as a Form of ‘Alter-globalism’? Hizb Ut-Tahrir and the Islamic Khilafah State Bruno De Cordier 25. Religion and Development: Prospects and Pitfalls of Faith-based Organizations Gerhard Hoffstaedter and David Tittensor 26. Mission, Missionaries and Development Steve Bradbury 27. Why Western-based, Pentecostal Mission Organizations Undertake Community Development in South East Asia Vicki-Ann Ware, Anthony Ware, Matthew Clarke and Grant Buchanan PART IV: CASE STUDIES 28. Religion, Development and Politics in Nigeria Insa Nolte 29. Religion and Development in Brazil, 1950–2010 Rowan Ireland 30. FBOs in Tanzania Michael Jennings 31. Partnership through Translation: A Donor’s Engagement with Religion Jane Anderson 32. The (In)visible Hand of Muhajirat. A Field Observation on Labour Migration, Social Change and Religion in the Vakhsh Valley, Tajikistan Bruno De Cordier 33. Where Shadows Fall Patchwork: Religion, Violence and Human Security in Afghanistan James Astley Connell 34. Australian Development FBOs and NGOs Lindsay Rae and Matthew Clarke Index

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Book SynopsisThe interdisciplinary field of economics and religion has come a long way since 2003 when Edward Elgar published the pioneering volume Economics and Religion. The influence of religious ideas on the birth of economics as a discipline and its rise to cultural dominance is now widely recognized. The largely Protestant discussion has been enriched by Roman Catholic contributions stimulated by recent Papal Encyclicals. The economics of religion has now matured into a respectable subfield of economics and articles on religion regularly appear in top economics journals. This original and insightful research review places the most recent contributions in context and will be an invaluable resource for scholars and academics alike. Table of ContentsContents: Introduction Paul Oslington, Paul S. Williams and Mary Hirschfeld PART I HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIPS 1. Dotan Leshem (2014), ‘The Ancient Art of Economics’, European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 21 (2), 201–29 2. Constant J. Mews and Ibrahim Abraham (2007), ‘Usury and Just Compensation: Religious and Financial Ethics in Historical Perspective’, Journal of Business Ethics, 72 (1), April, 1–15 3. M. Douglas Meeks (2011), ‘The Peril of Usury in the Christian Tradition’, Interpretation, 65 (2), April, 128–40 4. Peter Harrison (2011), ‘Adam Smith and the History of the Invisible Hand’, Journal of the History of Ideas, 72 (1), January, 29–49 5. Paul Oslington (2012), ‘God and the Market: Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand’, Journal of Business Ethics, 108 (4), July, 429–38 6. Matthew B. Arbo (2014), ‘Theodicy and Commerce’, Studies in Christian Ethics, 27 (2), May, 131–43 7. Paul Oslington (2013), ‘God and Economic Suffering’, CRUX, 49 (3), Fall, 12–19 8. Bradley W. Bateman (2008), ‘2007 Presidential Address: Reflections on the Secularization of American Economics,’ Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 30 (1), March, 1–20 9. Thomas C. Leonard (2011), ‘Religion and Evolution in Progressive Era Political Economy: Adversaries or Allies?’, History of Political Economy, 43 (3), Fall, 429–69 10. Anthony M. C. Waterman (2008), ‘Is “Political Economy” Really a Christian Heresy?’, Faith and Economics, 51, Spring, 31–55 PART II RELIGIOUS ECONOMICS AND ITS CRITICS 11. António Almodovar and Pedro Teixeira (2010), ‘Is There a Catholic Economic Thought? Some Answers from the Past’, in Daniela Fernanda Parisi and Stefano Solari (eds), Humanism and Religion in the History of Economic Thought: Selected Papers from the 10th Aispe Conference, Part II, Milan, Italy: FrancoAngeli s.r.l., 125–47 12. Mary Hirschfeld (2014), ‘On the Relationship Between Finite and Infinite Goods, Or: How to Avoid Flattening’, Econ Journal Watch, 11 (2), May, 179–85 13. William McGurn (2002), ‘Pulpit Economics’, First Things, 122, April, 21–5 14. Paul Oslington (2010–2011), ‘Popes and Markets’, Policy, 26 (4), Summer, 31–34A 15. Daniel P. Payne and Christopher Marsh (2009), ‘Sergei Bulgakov’s “Sophic” Economy: An Eastern Orthodox Perspective on Christian Economics’, Faith and Economics, 53, Spring, 35–51 16. Michael Schluter (2010), ‘Beyond Capitalism: Towards a Relational Economy’, Cambridge Papers, 19 (1), March, 1–4 17. Kathryn Tanner (2004), ‘Economies of Grace’, in William Schweiker and Charles Mathewes (eds), Having: Property and Possession in Religious and Social Life, Part 3, Grand Rapids, MI, USA and Cambridge, UK: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 353–82 18. Miroslav Volf (2010), ‘Hunger for Infinity: Christian Faith and the Dynamics of Economic Progress’, in Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection, Part III, Chapter 6, Grand Rapids, MI, USA and Cambridge, UK: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 151–78 19. A. M. C. Waterman (1991), ‘The Intellectual Context of Rerum Novarum’, Review of Social Economy, Special Issue: Centennial of “Rerum Novarum” and Semicentennial of the Association, 49 (4), Winter, 465–82 20. A. M. C. Waterman (1999), ‘Market Social Order and Christian Organicism in Centesimus Annus’, Journal of Markets and Morality, 2 (2), Fall, 220–33 21. Anthony Waterman (2003), ‘Should We Listen to the Churches When They Speak on Economic Issues?’, Agenda: A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, 10 (3), April, 277–88 22. A. M. C. Waterman (2013), ‘The Relation between Economics and Theology in Caritas in Veritate’, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics, 6 (2), Autumn, 24–42 23. Rowan Williams (2010), ‘Theology and Economics: Two Different Worlds?’, Anglican Theological Review, 92 (4), Fall, 607–15 24. Amos Yong (2010), ‘Pentecostal Health and Wealth: A Theology of Economics’, in In the Days of Caesar: Pentecostalism and Political Theology: The Cadbury Lectures 2009, Part II, Chapter 7, Grand Rapids, MI, USA and Cambridge, UK: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 257–315 25. Andrew M. Yuengert (2014), ‘It’s Not Bad to Have Limits, as Long as You Know Them: What the Aristotelian Tradition Can Offer Economics’, Faith and Economics, 64, Fall, 37–54 PART III RELIGION, CAPITALISM AND DEVLOPMENT 26. Peter S. Heslam (2008), ‘The Role of Business in the Fight against Poverty’, in Ian R. Harper and Samuel Gregg (eds), Christian Theology and Market Economics, Part III, Chapter 10, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing, 164–80 27. Rachel M. McCleary (2007), ‘Salvation, Damnation, and Economic Incentives’, Journal of Contemporary Religion, 22 (1), January, 49–74 28. Deirdre N. McCloskey (2013), ‘Work in the World: An Economist's Sermon’, Faith and Economics, 61, Spring, 66–71 29. Bryant L. Myers (2000), ‘The Church and Transformational Development’, Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies, 17 (2), April, 64–7 30. Nathan Nunn (2010), ‘Religious Conversion in Colonial Africa’, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, 100 (2), May, 147–52 31. J. David Richardson (2014), ‘Social Entrepreneurship For the Sake of the Kingdom: Why Microeconomics Matters’, Inaugural John Mason Lecture, Gordon College, October 13, 2014, Wenham, MA, USA, 1–11 32. Paul S. Williams (2012), ‘Capitalism, Religion and the Economics of the Biblical Jubilee’, Paper Presented at the Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative 10th Annual International Conference, September 2-5, 2012, Oxford, UK, 1–8 33. Robert D. Woodberry (2012), ‘The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy’, American Political Science Review, 106 (2), May, 244–74 PART IV ECONOMICS OF RELIGION 34. Ram A. Cnaan, Tuomi Forrest, Joseph Carlsmith and Kelsey Karsh (2013), ‘If You Do Not Count It, It Does Not Count: A Pilot Study of Valuing Urban Congregations’, Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, 10 (1), 3–36 35. Robert B. Ekelund, Jr., Robert F. Hébert and Robert D. Tollison (2002), ‘An Economic Analysis of the Protestant Reformation’, Journal of Political Economy, 110 (3), June, 646–71 36. Jonathan Gruber and Daniel M. Hungerman (2008), ‘The Church versus the Mall: What Happens when Religion Faces Increased Secular Competition?’, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123 (2), May, 831–62 37. Jay C. Hartzell, Christopher A. Parsons and David L. Yermack (2010), ‘Is a Higher Calling Enough? Incentive Compensation in the Church’, Journal of Labor Economics, 28 (3), July, 509–39 38. Daniel M. Hungerman (2005), ‘Are Church and State Substitutes? Evidence from the 1996 Welfare Reform’, Journal of Public Economics, 89 (11–12), December, 2245–67 39. Laurence R. Iannaccone (2012), ‘Extremism and the Economics of Religion’, Economic Record, Special Issue: Selected Papers from the 40th Australian Conference of Economists, 88 (S1), June, 110–15 40. Derek Neal (2005), ‘Comments on the Economics of Religion’, Faith and Economics, Symposium: The Economics of Religion, 46, Fall, 10–13 41. Jörg Stolz (2009), ‘Explaining Religiosity: Towards a Unified Theoretical Model’, British Journal of Sociology, 60 (2), June, 345–76 42. Christian Smith, Michael O. Emerson and Patricia Snell (2008), ‘Who Gives?’, Christian Century, 125 (20), October, 26–9 PART V ECONOMICS AND BIBLICAL STUDIES 43. John H. Elliott (2008), ‘From Social Description to Social-Scientific Criticism. The History of a Society of Biblical Literature Section 1973–2005’, Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture, 38 (1), February, 26–36 44. Morris Silver (2004), ‘Modern Ancients’, in Robert Rollinger and Christoph Ulf (eds), Commerce and Monetary Systems in the Ancient World: Means of Transmission and Cultural Interaction: Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Symposium of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project (Melammu) Held in Innsbruck, Austria, October 3rd–8th 2002, Stuttgart, Germany: Franz Steiner Verlag, 65–87 45. Johannes Renger (1994), ‘On Economic Structures in Ancient Mesopotamia: Part One’, Orientalia, 63 (3), 157–208 46. Edd S. Noell (2007), ‘A “Marketless World”? An Examination of Wealth and Exchange in the Gospels and First-Century Palestine’, Journal of Markets and Morality, 10 (1), Spring, 85–114 47. Philip F. Esler (2014), ‘An Outline of Social Identity Theory’, in J. Brian Tucker and Coleman A. Baker (eds), T&T Clark Handbook to Social Identity in the New Testament, Part I, Chapter 2, London, UK and New York, NY, USA: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 13–39 48. Zeba Crook (2009), ‘Honor, Shame, and Social Status Revisited’, Journal of Biblical Literature, 128 (3), Fall, 591–611 49. Deborah Storie and Mark Brett (2009), ‘The Church in the Economy of God’, Zadok Perspectives, 102, Autumn, 5–10 50. Peter Temin (2001), ‘A Market Economy in the Early Roman Empire’, Journal of Roman Studies, 91, November, 169–81 51. Walter Scheidel and Steven J. Friesen (2009), ‘The Size of the Economy and the Distribution of Income in the Roman Empire’, Journal of Roman Studies, 99, November, 61–91 Index

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Book SynopsisThe complex and changing relations between religion and migration are central to many urgent questions about diversity, inequality and pluralism. This wide-ranging research review explores these questions in different periods of history, in different regions of the world and in different traditions of faith. The emphasis is on how religions inspire, manage and benefit from migration as well as on how the experience of migration affects religious beliefs, identities and practices. The review discusses articles which examine the interface between religion and migration at levels of analysis ranging from the local to the global, and from the individual to the faith community.Table of ContentsContents: Acknowledgements Introduction James Beckford PART I OVERVIEWS OF MIGRATION AND RELIGION 1. Phillip Connor (2009), ‘International Migration and Religious Participation: The Mediating Impact of Individual and Contextual Effects’, Sociological Forum, 24 (4), December, 779–803 2. Peggy Levitt (2003), ‘“You Know, Abraham Was Really the First Immigrant": Religion and Transnational Migration’, International Migration Review, 37 (3), Fall, 847–73 PART II HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES 3. Virginia DeJohn Anderson (1985), ‘Migrants and Motives: Religion and the Settlement of New England, 1630-1640’, New England Quarterly, 58 (3), September, 339–83 4. Nicole Immig (2009), ‘The “New” Muslim Minorities in Greece: Between Emigration and Political Participation, 1881-1886’, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 29 (4), December, 511–22 5. Barbara Dietz (2003), ‘Jewish Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Germany: History, Politics and Social Integration’, East European Jewish Affairs 33 (2), Winter, 7–19 6. Fred. E. Woods and Nicholas J. Evans (2002), ‘Latter-day Saint Scandinavian Migration through Hull, England, 1852–1894’, BYU Studies, 41 (4), 75–102 PART III TRANSNATIONAL AND GLOBAL DIMENSIONS 7. Gamze Avci (2005), ‘Religion, Transnationalism and Turks in Europe’, Turkish Studies, 6 (2), June, 201–13 8. John R. Bowen (2004), ‘Beyond Migration: Islam as a Transnational Public Space’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 30 (5), September, 879–94 9. Luann Good Gingrich and Kerry Preibisch (2010), ‘Migration as Preservation and Loss: The Paradox of Transnational Living for Low German Mennonite Women’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 36 (9), November, 1499–518 10. Paul Christopher Johnson (2002), ‘Migrating Bodies, Circulating Signs: Brazilian Candomblé, the Garifuna of the Caribbean, and the Category of Indigenous Religions’, History of Religions, 41 (4), May, 301–27 PART IV GENDER RELATIONS 11. Celia McMichael (2002), ‘"Everywhere is Allah's Place": Islam and the Everyday Life of Somali Women in Melbourne, Australia’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 15 (2), 171–88 12. Alicia Re Cruz (1998), ‘Migrant Women Crossing Borders: The Role of Gender and Religion in Internal and External Mexican Migration’, Journal of Borderlands Studies, 13 (2), Fall, 83–97 13. Catharina P. Williams (2008), ‘Female Transnational Migration, Religion and Subjectivity: The Case of Indonesian Domestic Workers’, Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 49 (3), December, 344–53 14. Jeanne Rey (2013), ‘Mermaids and Spirit Spouses: Rituals as Technologies of Gender in Transnational African Pentecostal Spaces’, Religion and Gender, 3 (1), 60–75 PART V CONTEXTS OF RECEPTION 15. Phillip Connor (2010), ‘Contexts of Immigrant Receptivity and Immigrant Religious Outcomes: The Case of Muslims in Western Europe’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 33 (3), March, 376–403 16. Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh and Yousif M. Qasmiyeh (2010), ‘Muslim Asylum-Seekers and Refugees: Negotiating Identity, Politics and Religion in the UK’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 23 (3), 294–314 17. Nancy Foner and Richard Alba (2008), ‘Immigrant Religion in the U.S. and Western Europe: Bridge or Barrier to Inclusion?’, International Migration Review, 42 (2), Summer, 360–92 18. Margarita A. Mooney (2013), ‘Religion as A Context of Reception: The Case of Haitian Immigrants in Miami, Montreal and Paris’, International Migration, 51 (3), June, 99–112 19. Dianna J. Shandy (2002), ‘Nuer Christians in America’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 15 (2), 213–21 PART VI RELIGIOUS IDENTIFICATION AND PRACTICE 20. Ilana Redstone Akresh (2011), ‘Immigrants’ Religious Participation in the United States’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34 (4), April, 643–61 21. Carolyn Chen (2006), ‘From Filial Piety to Religious Piety: Evangelical Christianity Reconstructing Taiwanese Immigrant Families in the United States’, International Migration Review, 40 (3), Fall, 573–602 22. Valerie A. Lewis and Ridhi Kashyap (2013), ‘Piety in a Secular Society: Migration, Religiosity, and Islam in Britain’, International Migration, 51 (3), June, 57–66 23. Mieke Maliepaard and Marcel Lubbers (2013), ‘Parental Religious Transmission after Migration: The Case of Dutch Muslims’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 39 (3), 425–42 24. Pyong Gap Min and Dae Young Kim (2005), ‘Intergenerational Transmission of Religion and Culture: Korean Protestants in the U.S.’, Sociology of Religion, 66 (3), Autumn, 263–82 25. Clara Saraiva (2008), ‘Transnational Migrants and Transnational Spirits: An African Religion in Lisbon’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 34 (2), March, 253–69 26. Marwa Shoeb, Harvey M. Weinstein and Jodi Halpern (2007), ‘Living in Religious Time and Space: Iraqi Refugees in Dearborn, Michigan’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 20 (3), 441–60 27. Miki Talebi and Michel Desjardins (2012), ‘The Immigration Experience of Iranian Baha'is in Saskatchewan: The Reconstruction of Their Existence, Faith, and Religious Experience’, Journal of Religion and Health, 51 (2), June, 293–309 28. Susana Trovão (2012), ‘Religion and Civic Participation among the Children of Immigrants: Insights from the Postcolonial Portuguese Context’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 38 (5), May, 851–68 29. Manuel A. Vásquez (2009), ‘The Global Portability of Pneumatic Christianity: Comparing African and Latin American Pentecostalisms’, African Studies, 68 (2), August, 273–86 30. Frank Usarski (2008), ‘“The Last Missionary to Leave the Temple Should Turn Off the Light”. Sociological Remarks on the Decline of Japanese “Immigrant” Buddhism in Brazil’, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 35 (1), 39–59 Index Volume II Introduction An introduction by the editor appears in Volume I PART I INTEGRATION STRATEGIES 1. Sebnem Koser Akcapar (2006), ‘Conversion as a Migration Strategy in a Transit Country: Iranian Shiites becoming Christians in Turkey’, International Migration Review, 40 (4), Winter, 817–53 2. Susana Molins Lliteras (2009), ‘A Path to Integration: Senegalese Tijanis in Cape Town’, African Studies, 68 (2), August, 215–33 3. Marc Sommers (2001), ‘Young, Male and Pentecostal: Urban Refugees in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 14 (4), 347–70 4. Manuel A. Vásquez and Kim Knott (2014), ‘Three Dimensions of Religious Place Making in Diaspora’, Global Networks, 14 (3), July, 326–47 PART II RELIGIOUS AS RESOURCE 5. James R. Cochrane (2006), ‘Religion in the Health of Migrant Communities: Asset or Deficit?’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 32 (4), May, 715–36 6. Douglas S. Massey and Monica Espinosa Higgins (2011), ‘The Effect of Immigration on Religious Belief and Practice: A Theologizing or Alienating Experience?’, Social Science Research, 40 (5), September, 1371–89 7. Damaris Seleina Parsitau (2011), ‘The Role of Faith and Faith-Based Organizations among Internally Displaced Persons in Kenya’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 24 (3), 493–512 8. Peter van der Veer (2002), ‘Transnational Religion: Hindu and Muslim Movements’, Global Networks, 2 (2), 95–109 PART III POLICIES AND SERVICES 9. Paul Bramadat (2014), ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Refugee Settlement and Religion in British Columbia’, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 82 (4), December, 907–37 10. Jessica Eby, Erika Iverson, Jenifer Smyers and Erol Kekic (2011), ‘The Faith Community’s Role in Refugee Resettlement in the United States’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 24 (3), 586–605 11. Elźbieta M. Goździak (2002), ‘Spiritual Emergency Room: The Role of Spirituality and Religion in the Resettlement of Kosovar Albanians’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 15 (2), 136–52 12. Alexander Horstmann (2011), ‘Ethical Dilemmas and Identifications of Faith-Based Humanitarian Organizations in the Karen Refugee Crisis’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 24 (3), 514–32 13. Nkwachukwu Orji (2011), ‘Faith-Based Aid to People Affected by Conflict in Jos, Nigeria: An Analysis of the Role of Christian and Muslim Organizations’, Journal of Refugee Studies, 24 (3), 474–92 14. Matthias Koenig (2005), ‘Incorporating Muslim Migrants in Western Nation States: A Comparison of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany’, Journal of International Migration and Integration, 6 (2), Spring, 219–34 15. Michal Kravel-Tovi (2012), ‘“National Mission”: Biopolitics, Non-Jewish Immigration and Jewish Conversion Policy in Contemporary Israel’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 35 (4), April, 737–56 16. Jeremy Northcote, Peter Hancock and Suzy Casimiro (2006), ‘Breaking the Isolation Cycle: The Experience of Muslim Refugee Women in Australia’, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 15 (2), 177–99 PART IV ECONOMICS AND WORK 17. Phillip Connor and Matthias Koenig (2013), ‘Bridges and Barriers: Religion and Immigrant Occupational Attainment across Integration Contexts’, International Migration Review, 47 (1), Spring, 3–38 18. Rebecca Raijman, Silvina Schammah-Gesser and Adriana Kemp (2003), ‘International Migration, Domestic Work, and Care Work: Undocumented Latina Migrants in Israel’, Gender & Society, 17 (5), October, 727–49 19. Samadia Sadouni (2009), ‘“God is not Unemployed”: Journeys of Somali Refugees in Johannesburg’, African Studies, 68 (2), August, 235–49 20. Claudia Smith Kelly and Blen Solomon (2009), ‘The Influence of Religion on Remittances Sent to Relatives and Friends Back Home’, Journal of Business and Economics Research, 7 (1), January, 91–101 PART V RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS AND PROFESSIONALS 21. Michael Baffoe (2013), ‘Spiritual Well-Being and Fulfilment, or Exploitation by a Few Smart Ones? The Proliferation of Christian Churches in West African Immigrant Communities in Canada’, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 4 (1), January, 305–16 22. Denis Kim (2011), ‘Catalysers in the Promotion of Migrants’ Rights: Church-Based NGOs in South Korea’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 37 (10), December, 1649–67 23. Margarita Mooney (2006), ‘The Catholic Bishops Conferences of the United States and France: Engaging Immigration as a Public Issue’, American Behavioral Scientist, 49 (11), July, 1455–70 24. Julia Mourāo Permoser, Sieglinde Rosenberger and Kristina Stoeckl (2010), ‘Religious Organisations as Political Actors in the Context of Migration: Islam and Orthodoxy in Austria’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 36 (9), November, 1463–81 25. Albert Kraler (2007), ‘The Political Accommodation of Immigrant Religious Practices: The Case of Special Admission Rules for Ministers of Religion’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 33 (6), August, 945–63 26. Mäité Maskens (2012), ‘Mobility among Pentecostal Pastors and Migratory “Miracles”’, Canadian Journal of African Studies, 46 (3), December, 397–409 PART VI SPACE AND CULTURE 27. John Eade (2012), ‘Religion, Home-Making and Migration Across A Globalising City: Responding to Mobility in London’, Culture and Religion, 13 (4), December, 469–83 28. David Garbin (2012), ‘Marching for God in the Global City: Public Space, Religion and Diasporic Identities in a Transnational African Church’, Culture and Religion, 13 (4), December, 425–47 29. Amber Gemmeke (2011), ‘Enchantment, Migration and Media: Marabouts in Senegal and in the Netherlands’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 14 (6), December, 685–704 30. Marcel Maussen (2007), ‘Islamic Presence and Mosque Establishment in France: Colonialism, Arrangements for Guest Workers and Citizenship’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 33 (6), August, 981–1002 PART VII THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS 31. Jacqueline Hagan (2006), ‘Making Theological Sense of the Migration Journey from Latin America: Catholic, Protestant, and Interfaith Perspectives’, American Behavioral Scientist, 49 (11), July, 1554–73 32. Caroline Jeannerat (2009), ‘Of Lizards, Misfortune and Deliverance: Pentecostal Soteriology in the Life of a Migrant’, African Studies, 68 (2), August, 251–71 33. Gemma Tulud Cruz (2006), ‘Faith on the Edge: Religion and Women in the Context of Migration’, Feminist Theology, 15 (1), 9–25 PART VIII CONTROVERSIES 34. Florence Bergeaud-Blackler (2007), ‘New Challenges for Islamic Ritual Slaughter: A European Perspective’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 33 (6), August, 965–80 35. Annick Germain and Julie Elizabeth Gagnon (2003), ‘Minority Places of Worship and Zoning Dilemmas in Montréal’, Planning Theory and Practice, 4 (3), September, 295–318 36. Chantal Saint-Blancat and Ottavia Schmidt di Friedberg (2005), ‘Why are Mosques a Problem? Local Politics and Fear of Islam in Northern Italy’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 31 (6), November, 1083–104 Index

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Book SynopsisA timely and immensely scholarly work to explain how present doctrines of secularism could be infused, enriched by the notion of objective constitutionalism. The author's wide-ranging comparative research and his understanding of religious systems, as well as constitutions, judicial precedent and international law instruments, are most impressive. This is a work that deserves serious worldwide study and attention by academics, students, religious leaders and governments.'- Marinus Wiechers, Former Principal, University of South Africa'Constitutional arrangements relating to the relationship between religion and the law have over the years reflected a rich variety, ranging from the separation of religion and the law to the identity of religion and the law. Constitutionalism and Religion records the rich varieties of constitutional arrangements of religion in many countries of the world and in respect of a great variety of pragmatic features of our day-to-day lives, such as education, labour relations and the display of religious symbols.'- Johan D. van der Vyver, Emory University School of Law, US'Francois Venter's study of Constitutionalism and Religion is a major contribution to the understanding of church-state relations in the modern age. This global comparative exploration of how governments need to engage with twenty-first century religious pluralism is refracted through the prism of the author's informed critique of the challenges faced in post-apartheid South Africa. This book is a handy road map when travelling through potentially hostile territory.'- Mark Hill QC, University of Pretoria, South AfricaThis topical book examines how the goals of constitutionalism - good and fair government - are addressed at a time when the multi-religious composition of countries' populations has never before been so pronounced. How should governments, courts and officials deal with this diversity? The widely accepted principle of treating others as you wish them to treat you and the universal recognition of human dignity speak against preferential treatment of any religion. Faced with severe challenges, this leads many authorities to seek refuge in secular neutrality. Set against the backdrop of globalized constitutionalism in a post-secular era, Francois Venter proposes engaged objectivity as an alternative to unachievable neutrality.Bringing together the history of church and state, the emergence of contemporary constitutionalism, constitutional comparison and the realities of globalization, this book offers a fresh perspective on the direction in which solutions to difficulties brought about by religious pluralism might be sought. Its wide-ranging comparative analyses and perspectives based on materials published in various languages provide a clear exposition of the range of religious issues with which the contemporary state is increasingly being confronted.Providing a compact but thorough historical and theoretical exposition, this book is an invaluable resource for students, constitutional scholars, judges and legal practitioners.Trade Review‘A timely and immensely scholarly work to explain how present doctrines of secularism could be infused, enriched by the notion of objective constitutionalism. The author’s wide-ranging comparative research and his understanding of religious systems, as well as constitutions, judicial precedent and international law instruments, are most impressive. This is a work that deserves serious worldwide study and attention by academics, students, religious leaders and governments.’ -- Marinus Wiechers, Former Principal, University of South Africa‘Constitutional arrangements relating to the relationship between religion and the law have over the years reflected a rich variety, ranging from the separation of religion and the law to the identity of religion and the law. Constitutionalism and Religion records the rich varieties of constitutional arrangements of religion in many countries of the world and in respect of a great variety of pragmatic features of our day-to-day lives, such as education, labour relations and the display of religious symbols.’ -- Johan D. van der Vyver, Emory University School of Law, US‘Francois Venter’s study of Constitutionalism and Religion is a major contribution to the understanding of church-state relations in the modern age. This global comparative exploration of how governments need to engage with twenty-first century religious pluralism is refracted through the prism of the author’s informed critique of the challenges faced in post-apartheid South Africa. This book is a handy road map when travelling through potentially hostile territory.’ -- Mark Hill QC, University of Pretoria, South AfricaTable of ContentsContents: PART I RELIGION, THE STATE AND CONSTITUTIONALISM 1. The Roots of a Relationship: Religion, The State and its Power 2. Globalization, Constitutional Law and Religion 3. Constitutionalism PART II RELIGION IN LAW 4. Religion in Constitutions 5. Religion in International Law 6. Travails of the Judges in Religious Cases PART III OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL STATE IN RELIGIOUS MATTERS 7. The Weaknesses of Contemporary Statehood in the Face of Religious Pluralism 8. The Demands of Constitutionalism Regarding Religion 9. A Post-secular Approach to Religious Pluralism Index

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Book SynopsisReligion and Comparative Development is the first analytical endeavor on religion and government that incorporates microeconomic modeling of democracy and dictatorship as well as empirical linkages between religious norms and the bureaucratic provision of public goods within the framework of survey data analysis and public goods experiments. Moreover, it explores the rising significance of religion in Middle East and post-Soviet politics, as well as in current migration, security and party developments in the United States and Europe alike through these lenses. This book underscores the significance of religion as a crucial factor for political development and economic transformation, suggesting that all world religions can offer pathways to peace and development through different institutional channels. With a multiplicity of methods (statistical modeling, game theory, lab-in-the-field experiments, comparative historical analysis), the author observes how religion impacts political economy and international politics, and not always negatively. This demystification of religion goes beyond the classical discussion on the role of religion in the public sphere and sets the grounds for explaining why some economies are more likely to be democracies and others dictatorships. Researchers, graduate and undergraduate students of economics and social sciences, and faculty members who are interested in cutting-edge research on economics and culture will want this book in their collection. It insights will also be useful for policy-makers, administrators, historians, and civic organizations.Trade Review'Values and norms shape individual behaviour and collective results. And religion or its renunciation is arguably the single most important vehicle of values and norms. Therefore, the influence of religion on political development and economic performance is an important - and complex - topic in social science at least since Max Weber. Theocharis Grigoriadis' point of departure is that the big world religions differ in their valuation of collectivist vs. individualist features of institutions and that these differences matter for the incentives and possibilities of political leaders for modernization. The book brings together concepts and methods from history, political science, and economics and is therefore truly interdisciplinary. Drawing on a remarkable wealth of historical and institutional knowledge, game theoretic models, results from surveys conducted in Russia and Israel, and social lab-experiments in two Siberian cities, respectively, Grigoriadis pin down the role of religion for individual attitudes and decisions. In his foreword, he goes as far as claiming ''that all world religions can offer pathways to peace and development through different institutional channels''. Although my reading of this highly recommendable book did not fully corroborate this optimistic view, the findings certainly shed new and valuable light on the role of religion.' --Jurgen Jerger, University of Regensburg and Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies'The political economy of religion is a sorely neglected topic, especially in connection to understanding comparative economic development. Grigoriadis employs a rich and interdisciplinary variety of empirical and analytical tools to document the myriad ways that religious beliefs and institutions can influence government administrative structures, public good and modernization policies, and subsequent development paths. The focus on Eastern Orthodoxy, in particular, is a welcome addition to scholarship on long-run economic development in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.' --Steven Nafziger, Williams College, US'How have the values and institutions of the great world religions influenced public policy and its economic outcomes in different countries? In this book Theocharis Grigoriadis offers original concepts and new data for economists and economic historians. Focusing on Europe and the Middle East, the book locates religious cultures on the spectrum from collectivism to individualism, isolates their influences on the type of government, on the degree to which governments are committed to provide for society, and on central versus local provision. The findings break new ground in our ongoing search for the cultural and institutional roots of economic development around the world.' --Mark Harrison, University of Warwick, UKTable of ContentsContents: 1. Dimensionality of Religion 2. Religious Origins of Political Regimes 3. Religious Identity, Local Governance and Public Goods 4. The Political Economy of Russian Orthodoxy 5. Back to the Prussian Origins: Kulturkampf and Comparative Modernization References Conclusions Index

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Book SynopsisOffering an interdisciplinary, international and philosophical perspective, this comprehensive Research Handbook explores both perennial and recent legal issues that concern the modern state and its interaction with religious communities and individuals.Providing in-depth, original analysis the book includes studies of a wide array of nation states, such as India and Turkey, which each have their own complex issues centred on law, religion and the interactions between the two. Longstanding issues of religious liberty are explored such as the right of conscientious objection, religious confession privilege and the wearing of religious apparel. The contested meanings of the secular state and religious neutrality are revisited from different perspectives and the reality of the international human rights protections for religious freedom are analysed.Timely and astute, this discerning Research Handbook will be a valuable resource for both academics and researchers interested in the many topics surrounding law and religion. Lawyers and practitioners will also appreciate the clarity with which the rights of religious liberty, and the challenges in making these compatible with state law, are presented.Contributors include: R. Ahdar, F. Ahmed, R. Albert, R. Barker, B.L. Berger, J.E. Buckingham, J. Burnside, P. Dane, J. Harrison, M.A. Helfand, M. Hill, M. Kiviorg, A. Koppelman, I. Leigh, J. Neo, Y. Rosnai, R. Sandberg, S.D. Smith, P.M. Taylor, H.-M. ten Napel, K. Thompson, F. VenterTrade Review'Over the course of the last generation, the study of 'law and religion' has exploded in breadth, subtlety and significance. This Research Handbook provides its readers with a rich, varied, and sometimes provocative introduction to the field. Expert chapters not only shed new light on familiar topics, they also identify further avenues for fruitful scholarship. One is left with the sense that the most significant work still lies ahead - and also the intellectual tools to face that challenge.' --Julian Rivers, University of Bristol Law School, UKThe authors who have contributed so ably to this excellent volume are to be congratulated on scholarship of the highest quality, which treats a wide and rich range of issues at the centre of the field of law and religion today. Their contribution here will be of enormous value to all those who teach, study, and practise in this rapidly developing and important sphere of life.' --Norman Doe, Cardiff University, UKTable of ContentsContents: Foreword John Witte, Jr Part I Law and Religion 1. Navigating Law and Religion: Familiar Waterways, Rivers Less Travelled and Uncharted Seas Rex Ahdar 2. The Sociological Dimension of Law and Religion Russell Sandberg Part II Jurisprudential Themes 3. Equality, Religion, and Nihilism Steve D Smith 4. Jeremy Bentham and the Problem of the Authority of Biblical Law Jonathan Burnside 5. Dworkin’s Religion and the End of Religious Liberty Joel Harrison 6. What Kind of Human Right is Religious Liberty? Andrew Koppelman Part III Religion-State Relations 7. Establishment and Encounter Perry Dane 8. Religion, Secularism and Limitations on Constitutional Amendment Richard Albert and Yaniv Roznai 9. Regulation of Religious Communities in a Multicultural Polity Jaclyn L Neo 10. Liberal Constitutionalism and the Unsettling of the Secular Benjamin L Berger 11. The Boundaries of Faith-Based Organizations in Europe Hans-Martien ten Napel 12. Enforcing Religious Law Farrah Ahmed Part IV Adjudicating Religion 13. When Judges are Theologians: Adjudicating Religious Questions Michael A. Helfand 14. The Justiciability and Adjudication of Religious Disputes Francois Venter Part V International Perspectives 15. Controversial Doctrine: The Relevance of Religious Content in the Supervisory Role of International Human Rights Bodies Paul M Taylor 16. Dangers of the Changing Narrative of Human Rights: Why Democracy and Security Need Religious Freedom Merilin Kiviorg Part VI Freedom of Religion Issues 17. Freedom of Religion and the Rise of Secularism: Struggles in the British Workplace Mark Hill QC 18. The Legal Recognition of Freedom of Conscience as Conscientious Objection: Familiar Problems and New Lessons Ian Leigh 19. Of Burqas (and Niqabs) in Courtrooms: The Neglected Women’s Voice Renae Barker 20. Trinity Western University’s Law School: Reconciling Rights Janet Epp Buckingham 21. The Persistence of Religious Confession Privilege A Keith Thompson Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisElgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.This Advanced Introduction sets out the difficulty of defining religion itself and the subsequent impact this has on creating laws which regulate and protect it. Taking a global comparative approach, Frank S. Ravitch guides the reader in how this unique interaction plays out in differing legal systems including in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Providing further context by contrasting specific case studies, the book provides a rounded and coherent exploration of the complexities of law in relation to religion.Key Features:Addresses the many issues surrounding religious exceptions to general lawsConsiders the extent of separation between government and religion, and the role of courts in deciding religious questionsLooks at the ways in which law may govern discrimination by government or by private entities, based on religion or religious concernsExplores the multifaceted interactions between religion and law in many areas, including human rights; public schooling; health and property; tax exemptions; and clergy abuseThis foundational book offers a platform for researchers and students in the fields of law, political science, ethics, and religious studies. It also provides valuable insight for lawyers, judges and legislators with a focus on law and religion..Trade Review‘Advanced Introduction to Law and Religion is a major achievement in the US and comparative law and religion scholarship. Professor Ravitch crisply and insightfully synthesizes the history, major concepts, and current trends of the complicated world of church-state law in a single readable volume. Examining representative doctrinal areas, he places these in a truly global context by providing comparative analyses of alternate church-state models in Canada and the countries of the European Union as well as in Japan and other Asian countries too often neglected by Western scholars. The result is the perfect book for academics, graduate students, and others looking for sophisticated analysis beyond the introductory.’ -- Frederick Mark Gedicks, Brigham Young University Law School

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Book SynopsisElgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.This Advanced Introduction sets out the difficulty of defining religion itself and the subsequent impact this has on creating laws which regulate and protect it. Taking a global comparative approach, Frank S. Ravitch guides the reader in how this unique interaction plays out in differing legal systems including in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Providing further context by contrasting specific case studies, the book provides a rounded and coherent exploration of the complexities of law in relation to religion.Key Features:Addresses the many issues surrounding religious exceptions to general lawsConsiders the extent of separation between government and religion, and the role of courts in deciding religious questionsLooks at the ways in which law may govern discrimination by government or by private entities, based on religion or religious concernsExplores the multifaceted interactions between religion and law in many areas, including human rights; public schooling; health and property; tax exemptions; and clergy abuseThis foundational book offers a platform for researchers and students in the fields of law, political science, ethics, and religious studies. It also provides valuable insight for lawyers, judges and legislators with a focus on law and religion..Trade Review‘Advanced Introduction to Law and Religion is a major achievement in the US and comparative law and religion scholarship. Professor Ravitch crisply and insightfully synthesizes the history, major concepts, and current trends of the complicated world of church-state law in a single readable volume. Examining representative doctrinal areas, he places these in a truly global context by providing comparative analyses of alternate church-state models in Canada and the countries of the European Union as well as in Japan and other Asian countries too often neglected by Western scholars. The result is the perfect book for academics, graduate students, and others looking for sophisticated analysis beyond the introductory.’ -- Frederick Mark Gedicks, Brigham Young University Law School

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth and multifaceted investigation of how Polish Jews, Polish Zionism, and Polish culture influenced Israel’s cultural and political development, as well as of how the Zionist project influenced Jewish life in Poland. From its inception as a political movement, Zionism had as its main goal the creation of a ‘New Jew’ who could contribute to building a Jewish state, preferably in the historic homeland of the Jewish people, where Jews would free themselves from the negative characteristics which, in the view of the ideologues of Zionism, had developed in the diaspora. Yet, inevitably, those who settled in Palestine brought with them considerable cultural baggage. A substantial proportion of them came from the Polish lands, and their presence significantly affected the political and cultural life of the Yishuv, and later the State of Israel. In this volume, scholars from Israel, Poland and elsewhere in Europe, and North America explore different aspects of this influence, as well as the continuing relationship between Israel and Poland, up to the present day.Table of ContentsIntroduction Israel Bartal, François Guesnet, Antony Polonsky, and Scott Ury I. Before Zionism Hasidic Communities in the Land of Israel in the Nineteenth Century Uriel Gellman Polish Distinctiveness in Jerusalem, Congress Poland, and Western Prussia in the Nineteenth Century Yochai Ben-Ghedalia II. From the Beginnings of Zionism to the Second World War Between Attraction and Repulsion, Disaster and Hope: Jews, Poland, and the Land of Israel before 1948 Łukasz Tomasz Sroka Zionism in Poland, Poland in Zionism Anna Landau-Czajka The Fourth Aliyah and the Fulfilment of Zionism in the Land of Israel Meir Chazan Nalewki Street in Tel Aviv? The Political Heritage of East European Jewry in the Yishuv and the State of Israel Gershon Bacon Between Tłomackie 13, Warsaw, and Kaplan 2, Tel Aviv: The Role of the East European Jewish Press in Shaping Israeli Journalism Ela Bauer Jewish Politics Without Borders: How Ben-Gurion Won the Elections to the Zionist Congress of 1933 Rona Yona A Bridge between West and East: Polish Economic Policy and the Yishuv Katarzyna Dziekan Palestine for the Third Time: Ksawery Pruszyński and the Emergence of Israel Wiesław Powaga III. From the War to the Israeli Declaration of Independence Imagined Motherland: Zionism in Poland after the Holocaust Natalia Aleksiun Between Hostility and Intimacy: Christian and Jewish Polish Citizens in the USSR, Iran, and Palestine Mikhal Dekel Mordecai Tsanin: Yiddish Orphanhood in Israel and Afterlife in Poland Monika Adamczyk-Garbowska IV. From Israeli Independence to the End of Communism Art and Society between Poland and Israel: The Life and Work of Henryk Hechtkopf Hanna Lerner Yom-Tov Levinsky, Jewish Ritual, and Exile in Israeli Culture Adi Sherzer Israel Expunged: Communist Censorship of the Polish Catholic Press, 1945–1989 Bożena Szaynok Homeland, State, and Language: The Integration of Polish Jews into Israel Elżbieta Kossewska The Polish Exodus of 1968: Antisemitism, Dropouts, and Re-emigrants in Nowiny i Kurier Miri Freilich V. From the End of Communism to Today Home as a Place of No Return: Journeys to Poland in the Writings of Child Survivors and the Second and Third Generations Efraim Sicher Israelis? Poles? Blurring the Boundaries of Identity in Contemporary Israeli Literature Shoshana Ronen Other Family Stories: The Third Post-Holocaust Generation’s Journey to Poland Jagoda Budzik Neuland, or the Displacement of an Ideal: Israel in the Work of Eshkol Nevo Alina Molisak Israel and Poland Confront Holocaust Memory Yifat Gutman and Elazar Barkan Index**

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Book SynopsisThe fundamental cause of many of the global challenges we are currently facing is our disconnection from ourselves, our fellow humans, other beings, and our planet. We have consistently failed to recognize the inner consciousness that dictates our relationships and decisions, an awareness that could be the first step toward humanity’s quest to set civilization on a more sustainable trajectory. Rooted in both secular spirituality and scientific evidence, Applied Spirituality and Sustainable Development Policy articulates a new model of sustainable development that is not just based on narrow definitions of GDP and economic growth, but that includes and even forefronts social and environmental development and inner transformation of human beings. Drawing on fields from physics to public policy, 18 pioneering authors discuss: A distillation of the spiritual gems at the core of the world’s major religions, including Indic and Buddhist philosophy Root-cause analyses of major sustainable development policy challenges like climate change Connections between spirituality and law, and how our legal frameworks can reflect these values The need for leaders to understand their spiritual nature in order to be authentic and transformative in their leadership styles Recognizing a global need for healing, this book rejuvenates how we think about development and nurture our innate spirituality, and challenges us to shift our collective mindset from one of having to one of being.Trade ReviewThe book Applied Spirituality and Sustainable Development Policy is breathtaking in its scope and awe-inspiring for the depth of insight brought to bear on the current world crises. The editors have brought together contributions from a powerful team of academics, researchers and thinkers in the areas of spirituality, policy and sustainable development to create a truly outstanding text, sure to become a future classic. I will be using this text with my students! -- Lee Newitt, Founder MA Spirituality, Ecology & Mental Health at Buckinghamshire New University, UKPhysicists define energy as the capacity of matter to do work, and have demonstrated that this capacity is in all things everywhere and can be neither created nor destroyed. Have we not just described the God of ancient man, and the essence of modern spirituality? Let us then leave mysticism behind. If energy created this planet, its systems, and the vast cosmos surrounding it, would it not have the capacity to solve what appear to be unsolvable human problems? Energy does not deny us its aid. Rather, we deny energy its existence and pretend to be separated from our own being. The laws of physics hold otherwise. This remarkable book on applied spirituality is nothing less than a manual for the application of the energy in all things everywhere to solve human problems. Of course, energy has no problems. If we apply the lessons of this book, we will soon realize that neither do we. -- James Kimmel, Jr., JD, Yale School of Medicine, author of Suing for Peace, The Trial of Fallen Angels, and The Science of RevengeRather than outlining another neat, pre-determined framework, destined by definition to oversimplify the complexities of the real world, [this book] proposes a radically new approach -- one that neither rejects reason and rationalism, nor subjectivity and diversity; one that rather expands and enriches both. The Constitution of UNESCO reads 'Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed'. Similarly, this book posits that to achieve sustainable and equitable development in our world, we must cultivate the conditions for its flourishing within ourselves. It reminds us that we already hold the keys to this, both in the form of centuries’ old spiritual wisdom passed down to us through the ages (spiritual, not religious), and in our own innate spirituality. Rather than engaging in exhausting ideological battles, it recommends opening the mind to applied spirituality, free of religious, political and ideological dogma. In this way, the buttresses of peace and wellbeing for all sentient beings can be constructed. This approach will undoubtably elicit skepticism from various quarters, particularly from the rationalist orthodoxy camp. But reason and rationalism represent only one essential human faculty. Surely the complexities of our world with its multiple, intersecting, systemic challenges merit the full benefit of all our faculties and capabilities – our intuitive and ethical faculties, the faculties of the heart and our ability for love, empathy, and compassion, to name a few? Why would we willingly withhold the full scope of our faculties and abilities in the quest for a more sustainable future? This book calls for an integral, systems approach to our complex, interconnected global challenges, one that not only brings all our faculties to bear holistically, but that also stems from profound wisdom and applied spirituality. Methodological issues will certainly be open to debate, but the approach itself is deeply compelling. -- Renata Lok, Former Senior UN Official and Former Coordinator of the UN System in IndiaApplied Spirituality and Sustainable Development Policy makes a much-needed contribution to our understanding of how spirituality, as distinct from religion, can inform and improve every aspect of our life. My own practice of Sahaja Yoga meditation over the last 35 years has revealed to me that inner transformation, which comes about as one seeks spiritual depth, enables us to make intuitively informed choices that enhance the quality of our family, professional and social interactions. The editors and contributors deserve our highest compliments and deepest gratitude for their courageous effort to explain that spirituality does not isolate us from society or nature. On the contrary, spirituality empowers us in the subtlest of ways, to live in consonance with nature and in harmony with mankind. -- Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chair (2017-22), NITI Aayog, Government of IndiaThis is a very stupendous work! Public policy and spirituality seem unconnected, but public policy is surely based on the quality of the key players and needs their internal transformation. Religion was created precisely to provide this support. Unfortunately institutionalised religion has created the opposite effect: of excluding others, rather than feeling the one-ness. It has led to destruction, wars and violence. If the theory of change proposed in this work has to materialise, it needs a lot of hard work of reformation, both within and without. But the time has come for it. -- R. Subrahmanyam, Former Secretary, Higher Education and Social Justice, Government of IndiaTable of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction and Overview; Naresh Singh and Divya Bhatnagar Chapter 2. Policy and Practice informed by the Ancient Science of Spirituality; Mihir Shah Chapter 3. Politics of Being: Harnessing Spirituality and Science for a New Development Paradigm; Thomas Legrand Chapter 4. Buddhist and Taoist Systems Thinking: Perennial Wisdom Applications and Implications to Sustainable Transformation; Josep M. Coll Chapter 5. New Paradigm Politics and Governance for a Planetary Civilization; Anneloes Smitsman Chapter 6. Spiritual Leadership For Sustainable Development Policy; Naresh Singh Chapter 7. Law and Applied Spirituality; K. Parameswaran Chapter 8. A Holistic View to Approach Sustainable Development: Spiritual Roots and Evidence from Quantum Physics; Divya Bhatnagar and Sudip Patra Chapter 9. Spirituality, Wisdom, and Quantum Theory: Wisdom Has a Measurement Problem Too; David Rooney Chapter 10. Public Policy for Sustainable Development: A Gandhian Paradigm; Pooja Sharma Chapter 11. An Exploration of the Nonmaterial Dimension as the Sine Qua Non of “Sustainable Development”; Vern Neufeld Redekop Chapter 12. Applied Spirituality and Mediation: Overcoming Challenges of Sustainability using Inter-relational Settlement Model; K. Parameswaran Chapter 13. Compassionate Policies to Relieve Systemic Suffering: Visions, Obstacles, Strategies, Actions; Robertson Work

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Book SynopsisAnalyses Muslim-Muslim divisions within northern Nigeria, which are as important for understanding the violence in the region as those between Muslim and Christian (for which, see the companion volume, Creed and Grievance),with consequences for long-term peacemaking. Nigerian society has long been perceived as divided along religious lines, between Muslims and Christians, but alongside this there is an equally important polarization within the Muslim population in beliefs, rituals and sectarian allegiance. This book highlights the crucial issue of intra-Muslim pluralism and conflict in Nigeria. Conflicting interpretations of texts and contexts have led to fragmentation within northern Nigerian Islam, and differentIslamic sects have often resorted to violence against each other in pursuit of 'the right path'. The doctrinal justification of violence was first perfected against other Muslim groups, before being extended to non-Muslims: conflict between Muslim groups therefore preceded the violence between Muslims and Christians. It will be impossible to manage the relationship between the latter, without addressing the schisms within the Muslim community itself. Nigeria: Premium Times Books Abdul Raufu Mustapha is Associate Professor in African Politics, University of Oxford. His publications include (co-edited with Lindsey Whitfield) Turning Points in African Democracy (James Currey, 2009). Forthcoming: Creed & Grievance: Muslims, Christians & Society in Northern Nigeria edited by Abdul Raufu Mustapha and David Ehrhardt.Trade ReviewThis volume will surely come to be regarded as a reference book for dealing with those Sufi, Islamist, Salafist, and terrorist movements developing in multi-ethnic and multireligious societies in Africa and elsewhere. Mustapha's multidimensional and multifaceted approach offers a credible and intelligible analysis of the relevant historical, political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural issues which led to the current situation in Northern Nigeria. * AFRICA SPECTRUM *Mustapha's volume is an important corrective in the discourse about Boko Haram specifically and Islamic violence - indeed, all religious violence - generally, and it should be read by anyone who claims the authority to pronounce on any of these matters. * ANTHROPOLOGY REVIEW DATABASE *Table of ContentsForeword - M. Sani Umar Introduction: Interpreting Islam: Sufis, Salafists, Shi'ites & Islamists in Northern Nigeria - Abdul Raufu Mustapha From Dissent to Dissidence: The Genesis & Development of Reformist Islamic Groups in Northern Nigeria - Murray Last Contemporary Islamic Sects & Groups in Northern Nigeria - Mukhtar U. Bunza and Abdul Raufu Mustapha Experiencing Inequality at Close Range: Almajiri Students & Qur'anic schools in Kano - Hannah Hoechner 'Marginal Muslims': Ethnic Identity & the Umma

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Book SynopsisA fresh perspective on conflict and peace-making that highlights the cosmologies and invisible entities that state, society and religious authorities draw on to claim or reclaim legitimacy and control. Peace-making can be a violent, arbitrary assertion of power. At the same time, the spheres of power, politics and religion are rarely discrete: when governments behave like gods through demonstrations of arbitrary violence, the remaking of moral and spiritual worlds can provide radical ways to contest the brutality of both conflict and peace. This book is an exploration of the way that Nuer- and Dinka-speaking communities living around the Bilnyang and connected river systems in Warrap and Unity States in South Sudan have experienced peace-making and conflict in an increasingly militarized South Sudan. The book traces patterns of violence in peace-making back to colonial and mercantile activities in the late 19th century, but focuses on the period since the 1980s. Challenging dominant understandings of conflict and peace centred on neo-liberal brokerage and settlements or a politics entirely driven by instrumentalist, neo-patrimonial, marketized logics, this book shows how South Sudanese authorities, particularly religious authorities, have contested the legitimacy of violence and peace by drawing on divinely inspired notions of authority and norms of conduct. Drawing on archive, ethnographic and oral history research, as well as participant observations of the elite peace negotiations since 2013, Pendle describes the peace-making efforts of a range of actors from international diplomats to chiefs, Nuer prophets and local priests, to show how peace-making in South Sudan became an instrument used by actors to build authority by reshaping rituals, remaking hierarchies and re-encoding moral protest against oppressive regimes. By recasting anthropological and historical scholarship on divine authorities and moral communities in South Sudan, this book brings a new perspective to conflict, peace and governance that will be invaluable not only to scholars but to policymakers, practitioners and NGOs. This book is available as an Open Access ebook under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-NC.Trade ReviewThe book is a significant resource for scholars in the field of conflict management and peace-building, international organisations, policymakers and anyone interested in considering the interplay of religion, governance, tradition, peace-making, and conflict management. -- Nadir A. Nasidi * LSE *Table of ContentsIntroduction I Histories and Archives of Peace and Impunit Introduction 1. Priestly Peace and the Divinity of the Gun: The coming of government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries 2. Sacred Authority and Judicial Peace: Peace-making during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominum II. Negotiating Peace 3. Regulating the Proliferation of Divine Power: Wars 1980s-2000s 4. 'Local peace' and the Silencing of the Dead: The 1999 Wunlit Peace Meeting 5. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement 6. The Proliferation of Conflict in Gogrial, post-2005 7. The Proliferation of Peace in Gogrial, 2005-2020 8. For Peace or Payment? The bany e bith and the logics of peace-making in Gogrial, 2005-2020 9. Cosmological Crisis and Continuing Conflict in Unity State, 2005-2013 10. Prophetic Proliferations: making Peace in Unity State, 2005-2013 III. Logics of Peace and the Shape of War 11. A War for the Dead and Wars Made by Peace 12. Prophets Making Peace: Peace-making in Unity State, post-2013 13. Peace and Unending Wars in Warrap State, post-2013 14. The Problems of Forgiveness, 2013-2020 Conclusion: The cosmic politics of peace in South Sudan

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Book SynopsisMany years after 9/11 we are still struggling to categorize groups like Al Qaeda, home-grown cells and others that claim to be perpetrating and justifying terrorist acts under the banner of jihad. This book introduces the concept of 'neojihadism' as a new form of political organization, grand narrative, global subculture, counterculture and theological understanding, with an approach to political violence that is unique to the post-Cold War period. What these groups espouse and enact differs radically from fascism, totalitarianism, cults, jihad - and even jihadism.Neojihadism takes an interdisciplinary approach that fuses comparative politics, subcultural studies, Islamic studies, and terrorism studies. It cites examples from global, regional and nationally based terrorist groups to illustrate the diversity within the movement. Additionally, it draws from unique primary materials including recorded conversations of terrorists preparing for attacks, captured by electronic bugging devices and telephone wiretaps - to help to test the extent to which the term 'neojihadism' is a significant political and theological departure from previous Islamist group experiences.This fascinating book will be an invaluable resource for academics, and undergraduate and postgraduate students of terrorism studies, political science, international relations, comparative religion, and Islamic studies.Contents:1. Introduction 2. On The Movement 3. On Jihadism 4. On The Movement's Global Dimensions: Bin Laden as a Political and Spiritual Commentator 5. On The Movement's Local Dimensions: The Politics and Theology of a Melbourne Cell Leader 6. On Attempting to Name the Enemy: Islamo-Fascism and Islamo-Totalitarianism(s) 7. On Fascism and Totalitarianism 8. Conclusion: On Neojihadism - A New Understanding of Terrorism and Extremism? Bibliography IndexTable of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction 2. On The Movement 3. On Jihadism 4. On The Movement’s Global Dimensions: Bin Laden as a Political and Spiritual Commentator 5. On The Movement’s Local Dimensions: The Politics and Theology of a Melbourne Cell Leader 6. On Attempting to Name the Enemy: Islamo-Fascism and Islamo-Totalitarianism(s) 7. On Fascism and Totalitarianism 8. Conclusion: On Neojihadism – A New Understanding of Terrorism and Extremism? Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis topical collection of chapters examines secular society and the legal protection of religion and belief across Europe, both in general and more nation-specific terms.The expectations of many that religion in modern Europe would be swept away by the powerful current of secularization have not been realized, and today few topics generate more controversy than the complex relationship between religious and secular values. The 'religious/secular' relationship is examined in this book, which brings together scholars from different parts of Europe and beyond to provide insights into the methods by which religion and equivalent beliefs have been, and continue to be, protected in the legal systems and constitutions of European nations. The contributors chapters reveal that the oft-tumultuous legacy of Europe s relationship with religion still resonates across a continent where legal, political and social contours have been powerfully shaped by faith and religious difference.Covering recent controversies such as the Islamic headscarf, and the presence of the crucifix in school class-rooms, this book will appeal to academics and students in law, human rights and the social sciences, as well as law and policy makers and NGOs in the field of human rights.Contributors include: S. Bacquet, P. Cumper, E. Daly, G. Davie, P.W. Edge, A.C. Emilianides, T. Lewis, T. Loenen, V.A. Lykes, J. Mertus, M. Morav íková, J.S.Trade Review'Religion, Rights and Secular Society by Peter Cumper and Tom Lewis is a both timely and important publication. In a series of highly interesting and well-written essays - some of which are case studies covering many different European nations whereas others are more theoretical - the book looks at a key paradox in contemporary Europe: the relatively high levels of secularity in most European countries on the one hand, and the marked resurgence of religion in public debates on the other. While never pretending that there are ready answers to the problems of reconciling secular and religious values in Europe, the contributors make it quite clear that Europeans need to return to questions about religion that they had previously regarded as being settled. This is food for thought at a very high level!' -- Helle Porsdam, University of Copenhagen, Denmark‘. . . this book is an absorbing and enlightening read and of direct relevance to many practitioners, as well as academics and policymakers in law, government and in the social and political sciences.’ - Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor, The Barrister MagazineTable of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction: Freedom of Religion and Belief – the Contemporary Context Peter Cumper and Tom Lewis 2. The Netherlands: Neutral But Not Indifferent Marjolein van den Brink and Titia Loenen 3. Secularism and Establishment in the United Kingdom Peter W. Edge 4. Law, Religion and Belief in Germany Gerhard Robbers 5. Religion in the Constitutional Order of the Republic of Ireland Eoin Daly 6. Religion and Secular Values in Spain: A Long Path to a Real Religious Pluralism Eugenia Relaño Pastor 7. The Rise and Contradictions of Italy as a Secular State Marco Ventura 8. Religious Freedom in a Secular Society: An Analysis of the French Approach to Manifestation of Beliefs in the Public Sphere Sylvie Bacquet 9. Secularism, Law and Religion Within the Cypriot Legal Order Achilles C. Emilianides 10. The Pendulum of Church–State Relations in Hungary Renata Uitz 11. Law, Religion and Belief in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland Michaela Moravčíková 12. Human Rights and Religion in the Balkans Julie Mertus 13. Understanding Religion in Europe: A Continually Evolving Mosaic Grace Davie 14. Islam and Secular Values in Europe: From Canon to Chaos? Jørgen S. Nielsen 15. Legal Considerations Concerning New Religious Movements in the ‘New Europe’ James T. Richardson and Valerie A. Lykes Index

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Book SynopsisHow did liberationist Christianity develop in Argentina between the 1930s and early 1970s? And how did it respond to state terrorism during the Dirty War? Understanding the movement to be dynamic and highly diverse, this book reveals that ecclesial and political conflicts, especially over Peronism and celibacy, were at the heart of the construction of a liberationist Christian identity, which simultaneously internalised deep tensions over its relationship to the Catholic Church. It first situates the rise of a revolutionary Christian impulse in Argentina within changes in society, in Catholicism and Protestantism and in Marxism in the 1930s, before analysing how the phenomenon coalesced in the late sixties into a coherent social movement. Finally, the book examines the responses of liberationist Christians to the intense period of repression under the presidency of Isabel Perón and the rule of the military junta between 1974 and 1983. By exploring these distinct responses and uncovering the heterogeneity of liberationist Christianity, the book offers a fresh analysis of a movement that occupies a major role in the popular memory of the period of state terror, and provides a corrective to narratives that depict the movement as monolithic or as a passive victim of the dictatorship.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. Towards a Liberationist Christianity 2. The Movement of Priests for the Third World 3. From Religious Conflict to Political Repression 4. Identity and Divergences 5. De-politicisation and Reconciliation 6. Revolutionary Intransigence and Clandestinity 7. The Option for Human Rights Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest ironies of the history of Soviet rule is that, for an officially atheistic state, those in the political police and in the Politburo devoted an enormous amount of time and attention to the question of religion. The Soviet government's policies toward religious institutions in the USSR, and toward religious institutions in the non-Communist world, reflected this, especially when it came to the Vatican and Catholic Churches, both the Latin and Byzantine Rite, in Soviet territory. The KGB and the Vatican consists of the transcripts of KGB records concerning the policies of the Soviet secret police towards the Vatican and the Catholic Church in the Communist world, transcripts provided by KGB archivist and defector Vasili Mitrokhin, from the Second Vatican Council to the election of John Paul II. Among the topics covered include how the Soviet regime viewed the efforts of John XXIII and Paul VI of reaching out to the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, the experience of the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic and the underground Greek Catholic Church in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the religious underground in the key cities of Leningrad and Moscow, and finally the election of John Paul II and its effect on the tumultuous events in Poland in the late 1970s and early 1980s.This valuable primary source collection also contains a historical introduction written by the translator, Sean Brennan, a professor of History at the University of Scranton.

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Book SynopsisSex abuse happens in all communities, but American minority religions often face disproportionate allegations of sexual abuse. Why, in a country that consistently fails to acknowledge—much less address—the sexual abuse of women and children, do American religious outsiders so often face allegations of sexual misconduct? Why does the American public presume to know “what’s really going on” in minority religious communities? Why are sex abuse allegations such an effective way to discredit people on America’s religious margins? What makes Americans so willing, so eager to identify religion as the cause of sex abuse? Abusing Religion argues that sex abuse in minority religious communities is an American problem, not (merely) a religious one. Trade Review"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *Table of ContentsContents Introduction: Contraceptive Nationalism 1 America’s Contraceptive Mentality: Catholic Co-belligerence and the New Christian Right Part I Sex, Abuse, and the Satanic Panic 2 Satan Sellers: Michelle Remembers and the Making of a Sex Abuse Panic 3 Believe the Children? Catholicizing Public Morality Part II Sex, Abuse, and American Islamophobia 4 Dark Religion for Dark People: Race, American Islam, and Not Without My Daughter 5 The War at Home: Muslim Masculinity as Domestic Violence Part III Sex, Abuse, and Mormon Fundamentalism 6 From Short Creek to Zion: Mormons, Polygyny, and Under the Banner of Heaven 7 This Is Not About Religion: Raiding Zion to Save It Conclusion: Sex, Abuse, and American Religion Epilogue: Religion Trains Us Like Roses Notes Selected Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisSex abuse happens in all communities, but American minority religions often face disproportionate allegations of sexual abuse. Why, in a country that consistently fails to acknowledge—much less address—the sexual abuse of women and children, do American religious outsiders so often face allegations of sexual misconduct? Why does the American public presume to know “what’s really going on” in minority religious communities? Why are sex abuse allegations such an effective way to discredit people on America’s religious margins? What makes Americans so willing, so eager to identify religion as the cause of sex abuse? Abusing Religion argues that sex abuse in minority religious communities is an American problem, not (merely) a religious one. Trade Review"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *Table of ContentsContents Introduction: Contraceptive Nationalism 1 America’s Contraceptive Mentality: Catholic Co-belligerence and the New Christian Right Part I Sex, Abuse, and the Satanic Panic 2 Satan Sellers: Michelle Remembers and the Making of a Sex Abuse Panic 3 Believe the Children? Catholicizing Public Morality Part II Sex, Abuse, and American Islamophobia 4 Dark Religion for Dark People: Race, American Islam, and Not Without My Daughter 5 The War at Home: Muslim Masculinity as Domestic Violence Part III Sex, Abuse, and Mormon Fundamentalism 6 From Short Creek to Zion: Mormons, Polygyny, and Under the Banner of Heaven 7 This Is Not About Religion: Raiding Zion to Save It Conclusion: Sex, Abuse, and American Religion Epilogue: Religion Trains Us Like Roses Notes Selected Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

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Book Synopsis2021 ISSR Best Book Award (International Society for the Sociology of Religion) Transnational migration has contributed to the rise of religious diversity and has led to profound changes in the religious make-up of society across the Western world. As a result, societies and nation-states have faced the challenge of crafting ways to bring new religious communities into existing institutions and the legal frameworks. Regulating Difference explores how the state regulates religious diversity and examines the processes whereby religious diversity and expression becomes part of administrative landscapes of nation-states and people’s everyday lives. Arguing that concepts of nationhood are key to understanding the governance of religious diversity, Regulating Difference employs a transatlantic comparison of the Spanish region of Catalonia and the Canadian province of Quebec to show how processes of nation-building, religious heritage-making and the mobilization of divergent interpretations of secularism are co-implicated in shaping religious diversity. It argues that religious diversity has become central for governing national and urban spaces. Trade Review“An excellent contribution to the scholarly literature on Western secularities and on the regulation of religion." -- James Spickard * author of Alternative Sociologies of Religion: Through Non-Western Eyes *“Fascinating and helpful…an absorbing and detailed study.” -- Roger Trigg * author of Religious Diversity: Philosophical and Political Dimensions *"Religious diversification and the rise of nationalism, coupled with increasing immigration and ever-contested state secularism, are dominant and far-reaching trends facing many societies today. Through an evocative comparison of Quebec and Catalonia, Marian Burchardt lucidly explores how these topics are framed in law, shaped by institutional practices and understood by political actors and ordinary members of the public. Regulating Difference is essential reading for anyone concerned with such profound issues marking our troubling times." -- Steven Vertovec * Editor of the Routledge international Handbook of Diversity Studies *"Marian Burchardt’s Regulating Difference is historically informed, theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich. By juxtaposing Québec and Catalunya, the book makes important contributions to the literature on secularism and small nations. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of nationalism, the sociology of religion and secularism, and politics and religion more broadly." -- Geneviève Zubrzycki * author of Beheading the Saint: Nationalism, Religion and Secularism in Quebec *Immigration and secularization have radically increased cultural diversity around the world. What happens when ‘diversity’ evolves from a means of description into a mode of governance? In this cleverly designed comparative study of two ’stateless nations’, Marian Burchardt shows how the logic of ‘religious diversity’ is refracted through the logics of nationalism and bureaucracy at the macro and micro scales. Required reading for anyone interested in contemporary debates about religion, politics and secularity. -- Philip S. Gorski * author of The Disciplinary Revolution: Calvinism and the Rise of the State in Early Modern Europe *Two stateless nations, Quebec and Catalonia, with historically majoritarian Catholic confessions, have become deeply secular societies. But Catalan and Quebecois nationalists with similar conceptions of laïcité or secularism have offered divergent responses to the challenges that the religious diversity brought by large numbers of new immigrants present to their national projects. Burchardt's book examines this comparative puzzle deftly, while enriching our understanding of the ways in which religious and secular cleavages and religious and national identities may become differently entangled. An important contribution to the emerging field of multiple secularities. -- José Casanova * author of Public Religions in the Modern World *"Burchardt’s study is illuminating in that it offers new frameworks for thinking about the relationship between national identity and religious identity. By examining the procedural and governmental frameworks that both enable and inhibit the inclusion of religious migrants, his study offers a needed corrective to studies that look to philosophical concepts such as “rights” to understand what it means for religious migrants to belong to a nation." * Reading Religion *"Regulating Difference is a methodologically rich and theoretically versatile addition to the fast-growing field of comparative historical secularity." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Table of ContentsContents Introduction Religious Diversity, Secularism and Nationhood 1 Theorizing Religious Diversity and Secularism 2 Contesting Religious Diversity and Secularism 3 Spatializing Religious Diversity: Urban Administration, Infrastructure and Emplacement 4 The Limits of Religious Diversity: Regulating Full-Face Coverings 5 Making Claims to Religion as Culture: The Rise of Heritage Religion Conclusions Notes List of Laws and Cases Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMany American Christians have come to understand their relationship to other Christian denominations and traditions through the lens of religious persecution. This book provides a historical account of these developments, showing the global, theological, and political changes that made it possible for contemporary Christians to claim that there is a global war on Christians. This book, however, does not advocate on behalf of particular repressed Christian communities, nor does it argue for the genuineness (or lack thereof) of certain Christians’ claims of persecution. Instead, this book is the first to examine the idea that there is a “global war on Christians” and its analytical implications. It does so by giving a concise history of the categories (like “martyrs”), evidence (statistics and metrics), and theologies that have come together to produce a global Christian imagination premised upon the notion of shared suffering for one’s faith. The purpose in doing so is not to deny certain instances of suffering or death; rather, it is to reflect upon the consequences for thinking about religious violence and Christianity worldwide using terms such as a “global war on Christians.”Trade Review"Jason Bruner's Imagining Persecution offers a polite, probing, and ultimately devastating deconstruction of the common American Christian belief that there is at this time a global war of persecution against Christians. This is an extraordinarily important book. In its own understated way, it raises this fundamental question—why exactly is it so important for conservative American Christians to believe they are part of a globally persecuted community?"— David P. Gushee, author of Still Christian: Following Jesus Out of American Evangelism. "A significant contribution."— David Smith, author of Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States "Persecution, Martyrdom, and Christian Identity: 7 Questions with Jason Bruner"— Sacred Matters "New Books Network - New Nooks in Christian Studies" interview with Jason Bruner— New Books Network - New Nooks in Christian StudiesTable of ContentsContents Preface 1. Coming to Terms: Christians, Martyrs, and Persecution 2. Christians, Martyrdom, and Persecution from the New Testament to the Reformation 3. Religious Persecution and American Christianity 4. A Global War on Christians? 5. The Global Politics of the Suffering Body of Christ Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisThe Divine Institution provides an account of how a theology of the family came to dominate a white evangelical tradition in the post-civil rights movement United States, providing a theological corollary to Religious Right politics. This tradition inherently enforces racial inequality in that it draws moral, religious, and political attention away from problems of racial and economic structural oppression, explaining all social problems as a failure of the individual to achieve the strong gender and sexual identities that ground the nuclear family. The consequences of this theology are both personal suffering for individuals who cannot measure up to prescribed gender and sexual roles, and political support for conservative government policies. Exposure to experiences that undermine the idea that an emphasis on the family is the solution to all social problems is causing a younger generation of white evangelicals to shift away from this narrow theological emphasis and toward a more social justice-oriented theology. The material and political effects of this shift remain to be seen.Trade Review"The Divine Institution advances a lively body of scholarship that leaves no doubt: racialization is a foundational problem in the anthropology of religion. [It] richly demonstrate[s] that racialization is not only an analytical problem; it is a lived problem that religious communities self-consciously negotiate." * American Anthropologist *"Anthropologist Sophie Bjork-James’s The Divine Institution presents a subtle, carefully crafted analysis that traces the intersectional relationships between faith, gender, sexuality, and politics within evangelical sub-cultures....It is in throwing light on these complex liminal spaces between hard categories of difference that Bjork-James’s book is especially impressive." * Journal of Contemporary Religion *"What distinguishes Bjork-James’ work, quietly published this past spring, is the ethnographic intimacy of her observations. She shows how familial norms structure the ways evangelicals talk about race, homosexuality, “biblical” issues, and conversion. Bjork-James argues that understanding evangelical family values from the inside is the best way to make sense of white evangelical worlds." * Religion Dispatches *"[The] book stand[s] out from other works on contemporary evangelicalism. As such, The Divine Institution works as a useful and informative starting point to think about the cultural and political divides between secular and evangelical America." * Reading Religion *"Intersectionality is hard work, but Sophie Bjork-James applies it brilliantly to issues of race, faith, gender, and sexuality. Her study shows the ways in which race and racial supremacy structure and infect white evangelicalism's entire approach to men, women, and children." -- Edward J. Blum * co-author of The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America *"Sophie Bjork-James has taken on one of the central dilemmas of contemporary American culture, the stubborn association between white evangelical religious practice and profoundly conservative constructions of 'family values.' Using fine-grained ethnographic methods, she brings us close to white evangelicals and enables us to more fully appreciate the complexities of racial politics that unfold in their practices. " -- Ellen Lewin * author of Filled with the Spirit: Sexuality, Gender, and Radical Inclusivity in a Black Pentecostal *Table of ContentsTable of Contents Chapter 1: From Rules to a Relationship: The Transformation of US Christianity Chapter 2: The Divine Institution and the Segregated Church Chapter 3: Evangelicalism and a Strict Father Theology Chapter 4: Same-Sex Attraction and the Limits of God’s Love Chapter 5: Paternal Politics Chapter 6: Losing (and Remaking) My Religion: The Transformation of White Evangelicalism from Within Conclusion: White Evangelicalism in Trump’s America

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Book SynopsisThe Divine Institution provides an account of how a theology of the family came to dominate a white evangelical tradition in the post-civil rights movement United States, providing a theological corollary to Religious Right politics. This tradition inherently enforces racial inequality in that it draws moral, religious, and political attention away from problems of racial and economic structural oppression, explaining all social problems as a failure of the individual to achieve the strong gender and sexual identities that ground the nuclear family. The consequences of this theology are both personal suffering for individuals who cannot measure up to prescribed gender and sexual roles, and political support for conservative government policies. Exposure to experiences that undermine the idea that an emphasis on the family is the solution to all social problems is causing a younger generation of white evangelicals to shift away from this narrow theological emphasis and toward a more social justice-oriented theology. The material and political effects of this shift remain to be seen.Trade ReviewSophie Bjork-James has taken on one of the central dilemmas of contemporary American culture, the stubborn association between white evangelical religious practice and profoundly conservative constructions of “family values.” Using fine-grained ethnographic methods, she brings us close to white evangelicals and enables us to more fully appreciate the complexities of racial politics that unfold in their practices. -- Ellen Lewin * author of Filled with the Spirit: Sexuality, Gender, and Radical Inclusivity in a Black Pentecostal Church Coalition *Intersectionality is hard work, but Sophie Bjork-James applies it brilliantly to issues of race, faith, gender, and sexuality. Her study shows the ways in which race and racial supremacy structure and infect white evangelicalism's entire approach to men, women, and children. -- Edward J. Blum * co-author of The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America *"What distinguishes Bjork-James’ work, quietly published this past spring, is the ethnographic intimacy of her observations. She shows how familial norms structure the ways evangelicals talk about race, homosexuality, “biblical” issues, and conversion. Bjork-James argues that understanding evangelical family values from the inside is the best way to make sense of white evangelical worlds." * Religion Dispatches *"[The] book stand[s] out from other works on contemporary evangelicalism. As such, The Divine Institution works as a useful and informative starting point to think about the cultural and political divides between secular and evangelical America." * Reading Religion *"The Divine Institution advances a lively body of scholarship that leaves no doubt: racialization is a foundational problem in the anthropology of religion. [It] richly demonstrate[s] that racialization is not only an analytical problem; it is a lived problem that religious communities self-consciously negotiate." * American Anthropologist *"Anthropologist Sophie Bjork-James’s The Divine Institution presents a subtle, carefully crafted analysis that traces the intersectional relationships between faith, gender, sexuality, and politics within evangelical sub-cultures....It is in throwing light on these complex liminal spaces between hard categories of difference that Bjork-James’s book is especially impressive." * Journal of Contemporary Religion *"What distinguishes Bjork-James’ work, quietly published this past spring, is the ethnographic intimacy of her observations. She shows how familial norms structure the ways evangelicals talk about race, homosexuality, “biblical” issues, and conversion. Bjork-James argues that understanding evangelical family values from the inside is the best way to make sense of white evangelical worlds." * Religion Dispatches *"[The] book stand[s] out from other works on contemporary evangelicalism. As such, The Divine Institution works as a useful and informative starting point to think about the cultural and political divides between secular and evangelical America." * Reading Religion *"Intersectionality is hard work, but Sophie Bjork-James applies it brilliantly to issues of race, faith, gender, and sexuality. Her study shows the ways in which race and racial supremacy structure and infect white evangelicalism's entire approach to men, women, and children." -- Edward J. Blum * co-author of The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America *"Sophie Bjork-James has taken on one of the central dilemmas of contemporary American culture, the stubborn association between white evangelical religious practice and profoundly conservative constructions of 'family values.' Using fine-grained ethnographic methods, she brings us close to white evangelicals and enables us to more fully appreciate the complexities of racial politics that unfold in their practices. " -- Ellen Lewin * author of Filled with the Spirit: Sexuality, Gender, and Radical Inclusivity in a Black Pentecostal *Table of ContentsTable of Contents Chapter 1: From Rules to a Relationship: The Transformation of US Christianity Chapter 2: The Divine Institution and the Segregated Church Chapter 3: Evangelicalism and a Strict Father Theology Chapter 4: Same-Sex Attraction and the Limits of God’s Love Chapter 5: Paternal Politics Chapter 6: Losing (and Remaking) My Religion: The Transformation of White Evangelicalism from Within Conclusion: White Evangelicalism in Trump’s America

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Book SynopsisPowerful Devices studies spiritual warfare performances as an apparatus for disestablishing structures of power and knowledge, and establishing righteousness in their stead. Drawing on performance studies’ emphasis on radicality and breaking of social norms as devices of social transformation, the book demonstrates how Christian groups with dominant cultural power but who perceive themselves as embattled wield the ideas of performance activism. Combining religious studies with ethnography, Powerful Devices explores Nigerian Pentecostals and US Evangelicals’ praxis of transnational spiritual warfare. By closely studying spiritual warfare prayers as a “device,” Powerful Devices shows how the rituals of prayer enable an apprehension of time, paradigms of self-enhancement, and the subversion of politics and authority. A critical intervention, Powerful Devices explores charismatic Christianity’s relationship to science and secular authority, technology and temporality, neoliberalism, and reactionary ideology.Trade Review"A dazzling portrait of the contemporary Nigerian Pentecostal spiritual warfare prayer “showdown” with 'the new demons that modernity has vomited.' Adelakun shows how the rise of Pentecostalism is imbricated with neoliberalism, giving rise to new subjectivities, identities, and imaginaries ready for apocalyptic battle." -- Elizabeth McAlister * author of Rara! Vodou, Power and Performance in Haiti and its Diaspora *"Powerful Devices provides an original, nuanced counterpoint to prevailing scholarship on Pentecostal Christianity in Nigeria. With deep insights into the performative nature of prayer, Abimbola Adelakun charts a new course for understanding Pentecostalism’s growth in Nigeria and beyond that will continue to shape the field for years to come." -- Jacob K. Olupona * author of City of 201 Gods: Ilé-Ifè in Time, Space, and the Imagination *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: Spiritual Warriors: Powerful Devices and the Devices of PowerChapter 1: Aborting Satanic Pregnancies: Prayer as Apocalyptic DevicesChapter 2: Rehearsing Authority: Spiritual Warriors as God’s Human WeaponsChapter 3: The Noisome Pestilence: COVID-19 Pandemic and Conspirituality of “Fake Science”Chapter 4: Churches Going Virtual: Empty Auditoriums and the Essential Services of PrayerConclusion: Jesus Has WonAcknowledgmentsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of the Lebanese Shi’a and their development from a marginalized, discriminated minority to a highly politicized community that has given birth to Hezbollah, one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the contemporary Middle East. It explores the Arab-Israeli conflict through the lens of Shi’a intellectuals and scholars from South Lebanon, and chronologically reflects on trending perceptions of Palestine, the Zionist movement, and the Jewish community in Lebanon.The monograph illustrates how Zionism and the establishment of Israel played a decisive role in the intellectual revival of early Muslim perceptions of Jews. It demonstrates how political conflicts after 1948 have impacted the work of scholars such as Musa as-Sadr and Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, and have triggered the formation of social and Islamist movements. It also shows how Hezbollah’s leaders have used religious sources and Western anti-Jewish narratives to construct a deep-rooted ideology to support their struggle for South Lebanon and Palestine. The combination of social needs, religious beliefs and political interests forms the core of the analysis. This text appeals to students and researchers working within the convergence of politics and Middle Eastern religions. Table of ContentsPreface vAcknowledgements viiAbout this Book viiiAbout the Author xiiiNotes on Transliteration xivList of figures xvChapter 1: Introduction: The Shi‘a and the Power of Ideology 11.1. Origins: Traditional Shi‘i Narratives of Jews 51.2. Between the Frontlines: The Lebanese Shi‘a and Their Search for Identity 111.3. Ancient Tales and Modern Challenges: Islamist Narratives about Jews and Zionism 141.4. About this Book 19References 21Chapter 2. Lebanese Shi’i Scholars and the Rise of Zionism 262.1. Shi‘i Intellectual Life in Jabal ‘Āmil 262.2. Early Perceptions of the Jewish Community 312.3. The Emergence of Zionism 382.4. From the 1936-39 Revolt to the Division of Palestine 462.5. The Years of the Great War 512.6. The Challenges of the 1948 “Catastrophe” 572.6.1. Publications about the Nakba 582.6.2. Perceptions of Jews and Judaism 612.7. Orientation After the Nakba 67References 73Chapter 3. Mūsā aṣ-Ṣadr: Palestine and the Struggle for South Lebanon 773.1.Ṣadr and the Challenges of Jabal ‘Āmil 773.2.Pursuing Christian-Muslim Unity 813.3.The Palestinian Cause as a Lebanese Concern 843.4.Addressing a Non-Arab Audience 873.5. The Dilemma of the Palestinian Resistance 903.6. Shi‘i Doctrines as a Tool for Social Mobilization 933.7. The 1975-1976 War and the Rise of Amal 983.8. The Struggle to Save the South 1013.9. Facing the First Israeli Invasion 105References 110Chapter 4. Faḍlallah’s Discourse between Dialogue and Jihad 1124.1. The Shi‘i Framework of the Struggle for Social Justice 1124.2. Dialogue with the “People of the Book” 1174.3. On Early Muslim-Jewish Relations 1224.4. Jewish History Revisited 1284.5. Jihad and the Struggle for Palestine 1324.6. Israel and the West 1374.7. From Karbala to Palestine 140References 144Chapter 5. Naṣrallah and the Power of Martyrdom 1475.1. The Birth of the Islamic Resistance 1475.2. The Israeli Invasion and Shi‘i Reactions 1555.3. The Ideological Foundation of the Islamic Movement 1585.4. Ḥusayn in Palestine: Naṣrallah’s Ideological Approach to Anti-Zionism 1635.5. Merging Anti-Zionism and Anti-Jewish Thought 1695.6. A Strategy of Adaptation 1745.7. The May 2000 “Victory” and its Consequences 1815.8. Playing with Fire: Towards the 2006 War 1905.9. Risking the Future of Lebanon 1975.10. Hezbollah’s Game of Deterrence 2035.11. Saving the “Shi‘i axis” – Naṣrallah and the War in Syria 210References 216Conclusions: Anti-Jewish Narratives in the Service of Political Agendas 222Index 231

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Book SynopsisChapter 1. Introduction: Examining Religion and Ethnicity from the Context of Nigeria.- Chapter 2. Diversity and Conflict: Conceptualisation and Theories in the Nigerian Context.- Chapter 3. Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Nigeria: Exploring a Survey and Secondary Data.- Chapter 4. Nigeria and Ethno-Religious Diversity: Historical and Emerging Issues.- Chapter 5. Ethno-Religious Diversity Induced Violence in Nigeria and Remote Causes: (Re)Examining the Civil War and Boko Haram Insurgency in Light of Ted Gurr's Relative Deprivation Theory.- Chapter 6. Kantian theory of Perpetual Peace in Nigeria's Context: Engaging Political, Re-orientation, and Economic Remedies.- Chapter 7. Peacebuilding in Nigeria: Exploring Sacred Texts, and Indigenous Religion.- Chapter 8. Ethno-Religious Diversity management in Nigeria and the Relativeness in Africa.- Chapter 9. Conclusion and Suggestions for Practical Action and Further Studies.

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Book SynopsisChapter 1. Introduction: The “Catholic Vote” in the United States.- Part I. Political Parties and Ideologies.- Chapter 2. Catholic Patterns in the American Left.- Chapter 3. From National Populism to Post-Liberalism: When the American Catholic Right Justifies the End of Liberal Democracy.- Chapter 4. Donald Trump and the Past and Future of the Religious Right.- Chapter 5. The U.S. Bishops and the 2024 Election.- Part II. Catholics and U.S. Elections.- Chapter 6. Catholics and American Civil Religion in the 2024 Presidential Election.- Chapter 7. The 2024 Catholic Latinos’ Red Shift.- Chapter 8. Catholic Candidates and the Catholic Vote: Analyzing Support for Catholic Running Mates.- Chapter 9. Conclusion: The U.S. Catholic Vote Pendulum.

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Book SynopsisAs Scandinavian societies experience increased ethno-religious diversity, their Christian-Lutheran heritage and strong traditions of welfare and solidarity are being challenged and contested. This book explores conflicts related to religion as they play out in public broadcasting, social media, local civic settings, and schools. It examines how the mediatization of these controversies influences people’s engagement with contested issues about religion, and redraws the boundaries between inclusion and exclusion. FEATURED CONTRIBUTORSLynn Schofield Clark, Professor of Media, Film, and Journalism at the University of Denver, Colorado, USAMarie Gillespie, Professor of Sociology at the Open University, UKBirgit Meyer, Professor of Religious Studies at Utrecht University, the Netherlands

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Book SynopsisDaniel Thieme beschreibt die religiöse Rede deutscher Spitzenpolitiker anhand ihrer Selbstzeugnisse. Der Autor zeigt eine große Vielfalt von Glaubensüberzeugungen und religiös begründeter politischer Standpunkte auf. Nach religionspsychologischen Anhaltspunkten werden Typen religiöser Außendarstellung gebildet und anhand von Konfession, Parteizugehörigkeit und weiteren Merkmalen verglichen. In Bezug auf politische Sachfragen wird religiöse Rede für ausgewählte Politikbereiche untersucht. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass religiöse Politiker auch über Parteigrenzen hinweg gemeinsame Standpunkte vertreten und diese religiös begründen. Gleichzeitig unternehmen sie bisweilen große Anstrengungen, um ihre religiösen Überzeugungen für eine postsäkulare Gesellschaft zu übersetzen. Trade Review“... Hier liegt eine wichtige und in ihren Ergebnissen differenzierte Studie an der Schnittfläche von Politik und Religion vor, die zum weiteren Nachdenken über das oft spannungsreiche, aber unverzichtbare und hoffentlich immer wieder fruchtbare Verhältnis zwischen beiden Bereichen einlädt.” (Pfr. Sandro Göpfert, in: theologische beiträge, Jg. 50, 2019)Table of ContentsTheorien zur Erforschung religiöser Rede.- Die Konstruktion von Religiosität bei deutschen Politikern anhand ihrer Selbstzeugnisse.- Politische Standpunkte und religiöse Begründungen bei deutschen Politikern.- Die Übersetzung religiöser Rede durch deutsche Politiker.

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Book SynopsisDer Begriff des gerechten Friedens impliziert engen Zusammenhang von Frieden und Gerechtigkeit. Auch in biblischen Traditionen wird die Verknüpfung beider Begriffe deutlich. So umfasst der biblische Friedensbegriff Schalom stets auch Dimensionen der Gerechtigkeit. Das Zusammendenken von Frieden und Gerechtigkeit hat seine Wurzeln in der alttestamentlichen Tradition und zieht sich als roter Faden durch die kirchlichen Traditionen. Frieden und Gerechtigkeit können aber auch in einem Spannungsverhältnis stehen und zueinander in Widerspruch geraten. So kann die Umsetzung von Gerechtigkeit den Frieden gefährden (Kriege im Namen der Gerechtigkeit), und auch umgekehrt kann die Verwirklichung von Frieden als ungerecht empfunden werden.Table of Contents„Gerechter Frieden“ – mehr als ein weißer Schimmel? Überlegungen zu einem Leitbegriff der neueren theologischen Friedensethik.- Gerechtigkeit und Frieden in der Bibel: Eine schwierige Partnerschaft.- Frieden und Gerechtigkeit. Überlegungen zu ihremVerweisungszusammenhang im Horizont der christlichen Tradition.- Zwischen Frieden und Gerechtigkeit. Dimensioneneines Spannungsverhältnisses.- Gerechter Frieden als moralischer Maximalismus.- Wie weiter mit dem gerechten Frieden?Ein Ausblick

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Book SynopsisDie Anerkennung kultureller Vielfalt zählt neben dem Schutz vor Gewalt, vor Not und der Freiheit zu den Dimensionen eines gerechten Friedens. Aber was bedeutet kulturelle Vielfalt konkret? Was geschieht, wenn sie in Widerspruch zu den anderen Friedensdimensionen gerät? Die Autorinnen und Autoren dieses Bandes widmen sich diesen Fragen. Sie beleuchten aus verschiedenen disziplinären Perspektiven die Chancen und Herausforderungen, die in diesem Konzept liegen.Table of ContentsZum theologischen Bedeutungshorizont des Begriffs der Anerkennung.- Die kulturelle Dimension von Gewalt und Friedenbei Johan Galtung.- Kulturelle Verschiedenheit.- Zusammenleben in Differenz.- Postkoloniale Perspektiven auf die „Anerkennung kultureller Vielfalt und Identität“ als Dimension des gerechten Friedens.- Gerechter Frieden angesichts kulturell-religiöser Diversität von Geschlechterkonzeptionen.

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Book SynopsisDer Band widmet sich den Spezifika des Verhältnisses zwischen Religion, Ethik und Politik in der modernen Gesellschaft. Die versammelten Beiträge klären insbesondere, welche inhaltlichen Verbindungen und institutionellen Trennlinien der (säkulare) demokratische Rechtsstaat erlaubt bzw. auch verlangt. Ob die Politik dabei ihre eigene „Moral“ ausbilden muss, weil die ethische und religiöse Kardinalfrage nach dem „guten“ Leben ihren Bereich überfordert, wird anhand von zahlreichen aktuellen religionspolitischen Problemkreisen erörtert.Der InhaltReligion und „gute“ Politik • Religion in der „säkularen“ Demokratie • Empirische Anwendungsfälle und praktische Streitfragen Die HerausgebendenDr. Stefanie Hammer ist Politikwissenschaftlerin in Erfurt.Dr. Oliver Hidalgo ist Akademischer Oberrat a.Z. am Institut für Politikwissenschaft der WWU Münster und apl. Professor für Politikwissenschaft an der Universität Regensburg.Table of ContentsReligion und „gute“ Politik.- Religion in der „säkularen“ Demokratie.- Empirische Anwendungsfälle und praktische Streitfragen.

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Book SynopsisDas Völkerrecht gilt als eine der zentralen Friedensstrategien. Zugleich ist das Paradigma „Frieden durch Recht“ nicht unumstritten. Es speist sich aus verschiedenen Rechtstraditionen, die jeweils einen eigenen Interessenschwerpunkt vornehmen.Welche Aspekte hierbei zentral sind und welche Implikationen sich aus den jeweiligen juristischen Diskursen in der Rechtstradition für die Debatte um die rechtserhaltende Gewalt ergeben, steht im Zentrum des Bandes. Er nimmt verschiedene Rechtstraditionen vergleichend in den Blick. Dabei wird der Fokus insbesondere auf die ständigen Mitglieder des UN-Sicherheitsrates und Deutschland gelegt. Table of ContentsRechtstraditionen und Verortungen.- Modelle evangelischer Rechtsethik im Horizont globaler Ordnungssuche.- Die deutsche Sprache des Rechts.- Frieden durch Recht im Lichte unterschiedlicher Rechtstraditionen.- „Frieden durch Recht“ aus französischer Perspektive.- Das Paradigma Frieden durch Recht im Völkerrechtsverständnis Russlands.- Frieden, Recht und Good Governance im alten und neuen China.- Rechtstraditionen, Legitimierung von Gewalteinsatz und gerechter Frieden

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Book SynopsisDieses Open-Access-Buch führt in das noch relativ junge Konzept des gerechten Friedens ein. Es verhandelt seine drei Grundpfeiler: das Verständnis einer Friedensordnung als Rechtsordnung, die Beschränkung militärischer Gewalt zur Rechtsdurchsetzung sowie den Vorrang ziviler Konfliktbearbeitung. Dabei nimmt die Autorin konzeptinhärente Ambivalenzen und bestehende Dissense in den Blick und zeigt Perspektiven eines Umgangs mit friedensethischen Ambiguitäten auf. Abschließend reflektiert sie den Anspruch der Kirchen, mit dem gerechten Frieden als christliches Leitbild ein Orientierungswissen für Politik und Gesellschaft bieten zu können.Table of ContentsDer gerechte Frieden zur Verortung eines Konzeptes.- Frieden durch Recht – Recht durch Krieg?.- Rechtserhaltende Gewalt oder rechtserhaltender Zwang – mehr als eine semantische Unterscheidung.- Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung – eine vorrangige Aufgabe, aber nicht ohne Beschränkungen und Aporien.- Gerechter Frieden als Orientierungswissen – ein christliches Leitbild für eine plurale Gesellschaft? Ein Ausblick.

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Book SynopsisDie Öffnung sozialdemokratischer und sozialistischer Parteien gegenüber Religions- und Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften hat zu uneinheitlichen Situationen in den ursprünglich religionskritischen, laizistischen Parteien geführt. Bei allen gemeinsam geteilten Werten der europäischen Schwesterparteien existieren divergierende laizistische Grundhaltungen und Auslegungsarten des Konzeptes der Laizität. Diese bilden den Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit: Die laizistischen Grundhaltungen verschiedener sozialdemokratischer Parteien in Europa werden herausgestellt, verglichen und analysiert. Dies geschieht durch eine Inhaltsanalyse von Parteipublikationen, die ergänzt wird durch Experteninterviews mit prominenten Vertretern der Parteien – so u.a. mit dem früheren spanischen Ministerpräsidenten José Luis Zapatero, mit dem ehemaligen Bundestagspräsidenten Wolfgang Thierse oder mit dem früheren Nationalen Sekretär für Laizität in Frankreich Jean Glavany. Anschließend werden auf Grundlage einer vergleichend ausgerichteten Analyse laizistischer Deutungsmuster der Parteien perspektivisch mehrere Erklärungsansätze und Einflussfaktoren auf die unterschiedlichen laizistischen Ausprägungen formuliert.Table of ContentsEinleitung.- Historische und gegenwärtige politische Konzeptualisierungen von Laizität.- Forschungsdesign: Fallauswahl und methodisches Vorgehen.- Fallstudie Frankreich: Laizistische Grundhaltungen der Parti Socialiste in Religions- und Weltanschauungspolitik.- Fallstudie Spanien: Laizistische Grundhaltungen der Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) in Religions- und Weltanschauungspolitik.- Fallstudie Deutschland: Laizistische Grundhaltungen der Sozialdemokratischen Partei Deutschlands (SPD) in Religions- und Weltanschauungspolitik.- Vergleichende Analyse und Ergebnisdarstellung, Laizitätspolitik – ein neues Politikfeld?.- Fazit und Ausblick.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a theoretical inquiry on the relation of the body politic with the religious movements in the time between the Constitutional Revolution and the Islamic Revolution in Iran; it illustrates speculative and historical analyses on the relationship of state, religion, and socio-political status in the late Qajar dynasty (1905-1925) and the whole Pahlavi monarchy. Particularly, it examines the applicability of “liberal conservatism” to the era of the last Shah of Iran. The thesis defines the term political conservatism in accord with Edmund Burke’s philosophy. It deals next with the definition of religious reformation, the peculiar characteristics of Islam, the Shi'ite political theology, and the contradictory usages of “Islamic reformation” in the literature. The text gives an overview of the two antagonist sides of nationalism. It provides also an analysis of the Islamic Republic as a new political phenomenon in Iranian history and the transformation of all concepts after 1979. Ayatollahi aims to assess the Iranian conservatism, the possibility of conciliation between politics and religion before the collapse of the Pahlavi, and “the conditions of possibility” for any restoration of the monarchy.Table of ContentsWhat Is Political Conservatism?.- What Is Religious Reformation?.- Constitutionalism, Religion & Modernization.- From The Constitutional Revolution To The Shi'ite Ideology.- Conclusion.- Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisSozialkapital als interdisziplinäres Konzept bietet einen nützlichen konzeptionellen Rahmen, die gesellschaftliche Rolle von Religion in einer übergeordneten theoretischen Perspektive zu thematisieren und zu untersuchen. Anknüpfend an den bisherigen Forschungsstand wird in diesem Buch ein Modell hergeleitet, welches ein theoretisches Fundament für die komplexe Beziehung zwischen Sozialkapital und Religion bildet. Dieses Modell zum religiösen Sozialkapital wird anschliessend anhand einer Sekundäranalyse für die Schweiz angewandt, wodurch wichtige aktuelle Erkenntnisse für Religion, Wirtschaft und Politik gewonnen werdenTable of ContentsEinleitung.- Theoretischer Hintergrund des Sozialkapitalkonzepts .- Verknüpfung von Religion und Sozialkapital.- Daten und Methode.- Religion in der Schweiz.- Das soziale Kapital der Schweiz.-Fazit: Religion und Sozialkapital.- Ausblick und Implikationen.

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Book SynopsisWhat does childhood mean in contemporary Thailand? What constitutes childhood in a slum? How does childhood figure in the construction of national citizenships? Rich in ethnographic detail, this fascinating, engaging and illuminating study explores the daily lives, constraints, and social worlds of children born in the slums of Bangkok, and their ways of defining themselves in relation to a range of governing technologies, state and non-state actors, and broad cultural politics. It does so by interrogating the layered meanings of “childhood” in slums, schools, Buddhist temples, Christian NGOs, state and international aid organisations, as well as social media. Giuseppe Bolotta’s analysis employs “childhood” as a prism to make sense of broader socio-political, religious, and economic transformations in Thai society. By examining the competition between different Thai and foreign actors to define and control the world-view formed by these children, he demonstrates how Bangkok slums are political arenas within which local, national and global social forces and interests converge and clash. At the same time, this analysis highlights the roles played by Bangkok’s poor children in processes of social change, considering how young people’s efforts to make sense of themselves in an era of authoritarian rule reflect the broader tensions facing the urban poor in this complex moment of Thai history. The book shows how “marginal childhoods” and the “cultural technologies of childhood” – schools, religious agencies, NGOs – reflect both endemic inequalities in Thailand’s larger socio-political structure and global transformations in transnational childhood governance. Marginalized young people’s increasingly plural cultural references create space for both existential fragmentation and creative self-reformulation, which provide socially disadvantaged citizens with unexpected religious, economic, and political resources to challenge Thai society’s generational structures of power. Through these arguments, Belittled Citizens demonstrates that “childhood” is best understood in Thailand as a political category that has been fundamental to the military state’s rule and, potentially, its undoing. It also shows more broadly how attention to children, typically excluded from national politics and therefore invisible in most political analyses, has important potential for producing startling insights into contemporary Southeast Asian societiesTrade ReviewThis splendidly original and meticulously documented exploration of the constricted life chances of Bangkok’s slum children illuminates the problems of youth and class in a world shaped by karmic concepts of destiny and hierarchy. Gracefully written and resonant with compassionate insight, it deserves a wide readership. – Michael Herzfeld, Harvard University, author of Siege of the Spirits

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Book SynopsisRecent studies of Indonesian Islam have pointed to the growing prominence of ‘conservative’ and globally expansive Islamic doctrines. Salafism is one such doctrine, and it has gained increasing popularity in Indonesia over the past several decades. Aiming to propagate a ‘literalist’ interpretation of Islam, Salafi activists argue that many local Islamic traditions, histories and cultures are unIslamic. This has led to significant controversy, and accusations by many Indonesians that Salafism is foreign to country, an intolerant religion, and should have no part in the religious life of the nation. This book offers an ethnographic study of this often misunderstood and controversial movement. It explains why Salafism is growing in numbers, especially amongst young people, and how Salafi activists promote their faith within the wider public. It explores the range of propagational activities and products Salafis use in their public outreach, including literature, mosque sermons, social media ventures, and even fashion, and describes how these activities are tailored to a young Indonesian audience. Salafis may have global roots, but as this book outlines, its success in Indonesia is best understood as an intrinsically local phenomenon entangled within Indonesian ideas of Islamic praxis, consumerism, modernity, political action and citizenship. Salafi activists do not see themselves as foreign religious agents or detached from Indonesian life, but increasingly as part of a religiously conservative moral vanguard. Salafism is, consequently, part of the broader re-orientation of social, cultural and political life we are seeing in contemporary Indonesia.Trade Review‘Chris Chaplin’s carefully argued and sophisticated analysis of Salafism in Indonesia not only shows its appeal as a mix of social movement and individualizing force; it leverages rich ethnographic detail to reveal Salafism’s internal tensions and paradoxes as a defining trait, a necessary condition for the movement’s growth as it continues to inspire an increasingly conservative and politicized religious landscape. Relevant well beyond the Indonesian context, this book is an important contribution to the study of Islam. It will be widely read.’ (Dr David Kloos, KITLV - Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies)

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisAn internationally recognized authority on Chinese history and a leading innovator in its telling, Cho-yun Hsu constructs an original portrait of Chinese culture. Unlike most historians, Hsu resists centering his narrative on China's political evolution, focusing instead on the country's cultural sphere and its encounters with successive waves of globalization. Beginning long before China's written history and extending through the twentieth century, Hsu follows the content and expansion of Chinese culture, describing the daily lives of commoners, their spiritual beliefs and practices, the changing character of their social and popular thought, and their advances in material culture and technology. In addition to listing the achievements of emperors, generals, ministers, and sages, Hsu builds detailed accounts of these events and their everyday implications. Dynastic change, the rise and fall of national ambitions, and the growth and decline of institutional systems take on new significance through Hsu's careful research, which captures the multiple strands that gave rise to China's pluralistic society. Paying particular attention to influential relationships occurring outside of Chinese cultural boundaries, he demonstrates the impact of foreign influences on Chinese culture and identity and identifies similarities between China's cultural developments and those of other nations.Trade ReviewAn important and original book on a permanently important topic by one of the world's leading historians of China. The writing is lucid, often elegant, and has been beautifully translated into English." —William C. Kirby, director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University"Nothing quite like this exists in the modern literature, and it is especially valuable for readers interested in world/global history." —James L. Watson, Harvard University"Hsu's book is unique in the field, and makes a distinct contribution above the many other grand narratives of Chinese history. Impeccably researched and consistently insightful, this is precisely the sort of book that every serious scholar of China should keep within arm's reach." —Thomas David DuBois, China Journal

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Book SynopsisThe book examines the dynamic processes of the various social, political, and cultural negotiations that representatives of Christian groups engage in within authoritarian societies in Greater China, where Christianity is deemed a foreign religious system brought to China by colonial rulers. The book explores the political and social cooperation and negotiations of two particular Christian groups in their respective and distinct settings: the open sector of the Catholic Church in the communist People’s Republic on mainland China from 1945 to the present day, and the Presbyterian church of Taiwan in the Republic of China in Taiwan during the period of martial law from 1949 to 1987. Rather than simply confirm the ‘domination-resistance’ model of church–state relations, the book focuses on the various approaches adopted by religious groups during the process of negotiation. In an authoritative Chinese environment, religious specialists face two related pressures: the demands of their authoritarian rulers and social pressure requiring them to assimilate to the local culture. The book uses two case studies to support a wider theory of economic approach to religion.Trade Review“This book adopts the economic approach to religion to study the development of Christianity in China from the perspective of the relationship between Church and state. … This book is a catalyst for advancing the study of Christianity in China and will be much appreciated by both specialists and students of Chinese Christianity.” (Wei Xiong, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 49 (1), March, 2023)“Uneasy Encounters, the author’s first book, is a laudable effort at marshalling an extensive review of church publications and scholarly literature … . Rychetská is to be commended for bridging scholarly conversations that have not always been in dialogue with each other. In particular, Rychetská’s review of published church documents and government policy documents relating to the church will interest scholars and teachers seeking to illustrate particular aspects of church-state relations in either context.” (Joshua Tan, Review of Religion and Chinese Society, February 20, 2023)Table of ContentsIntroduction. - Part 1: Presbyterian Church in Taiwan during the martial law. - Chapter 1. A Historical Overview of the Presbyterian Mission in Taiwan. - Chapter 2. The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan under the Nationalist Rule during the Martial Law. - Chapter 3. Re-sinicization and the Struggle for Localisation. - Chapter 4. Church’s struggle for Taiwanese National Identity. - Chapter 5. Church and the Human Rights. - Chapter 6. The Promotor of Democratisation. - Part 2: Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association in the People’s Republic of China. - Chapter 7. A Historical Overview of the Catholic Mission in China. - Chapter 8. Catholic Church under the Communist Rule. - Chapter 9. Sino-Vatican Relations. - Chapter 10. Catholic Church in the Light of Policy and Legislation Documents on Religion. - Chapter 11. Sinicizing Christianity in the Contemporary People’s Republic of China. - Chapter 12. Resistance or Cooperation? - Conclusion: Christian Churches in the Authoritarian Regimes

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays engaging with Buddhism in Thailand and the virtues of distraction and variety within the materialist turn in studies of religion.In Thailand, Buddhism is deeply integrated into national institutions and ideologies, making it tempting to think of Buddhism in Thailand as a textual, institutional, cultural, and conceptual whole. At the same time, religious expression in the country reflects anything but a single order. Often gaudy, cacophonous, variegated, and jumbled, diversity and apparent contradiction abound. A more open engagement with Buddhism in Thailand requires a willingness to be distracted, to step away from received hierarchies and follow the intriguing detail in the ornate design, the odd textual reference, and to prefer "thin description" over a search for meaning. Justin McDaniel's well-known book-length writings in Buddhist and Theravada studies cannot be fully understood without taking into account his shorter writings, what he calls his wayward distractions. Collected together for the first time, these essays cover subjects ranging from ornamental art to marriage and emotion, the role of Hinduism, neglected gender and ethnic diversity, Buddhist inflections in contemporary art practice, and the boundaries between the living, dead, and undead. These writings will be of importance to students of Theravada and Thailand, of religion in Southeast Asia and more generally, of the materialist turn in studies of religion.Trade Review“This work is a treasure for any fan of McDaniel’s outstanding work on Thailand. A selection of ten articles published between 2000 and now, this first volume shows the diversity of his work and his efforts to challenge limiting understandings of Buddhism in Thailand. . . . An extremely helpful book for beginner and experienced scholars of Thai studies and Thai Buddhism.” * The Review *"[Wayward Distractions] showcases McDaniel's diverse interests and deep knowledge of the featured Buddhist topics. McDaniel draws on his wide experiences, including teaching at a school in Thailand and time spent as an ordained monk in the northeast near the border with Laos during his fieldwork. As a result, he gained deep knowledge and insight on Thai and Lao lifeways, languages, Buddhism and its rituals (including meditation, and chanting in Pali)." * Journal of Southeast Asian Studies *“This book presents complex topics and methods of analysis, but it does so in a storytelling style that makes it accessible to a broad range of readers—from the general reader who seeks knowledge and enjoyment and is prompted to observe or question familiar things around them, to scholars and students of Thai Buddhism, Thai literature, Thai culture, and ethnography and folklore. They will not only gain new perspectives and explanations on Thai literature and Buddhist culture but also observe the methods of study, questioning, analysis, and synthesis that come from literature review, field data collection, comparison with other cultures, leading to new interpretations and critical thinking skills.” * Southeast Asian Studies *Table of Contents Introduction: Cajoleries, Non-Human Ontology and the Importance of Thin Description in the Study of Thai Buddhist Stuff Ethnicity and the galactic polity: Ideas and actualities in the history of Bangkok Creative Engagement: the Sujavanna Wua Luang and its Contribution to Buddhist Literature Beautifully Buddhist and Betrothed: Marriage and Buddhism as described in the Jatakas The Bird in the Corner of the Painting: Problems with the Use of Buddhist Texts to Study Buddhist Ornamental Art in Thailand The Material Turn: An Introduction to Thai Sources for the Study of Buddhist Amulets Strolling through Temporary Temples: Modern Buddhist Art Installations in Thailand This Hindu Holy Man is a Thai Buddhist Encountering Corpses: Notes on Zombies and the Living Dead in Buddhist Southeast Asia Buddhist 'nuns' (mae chi) and the teaching of Pali in contemporary Thailand Works Cited

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