ISBN-13: 9780415490245 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 1624 str.
The early twenty-first century has witnessed a global resurgence of religious activity and identification. In particular, numerous examples of the growing political influence of religion can be cited, not least in Europe, once thought to be an inexorably secularizing continent. In India, meanwhile, officially a secular state, the Bharatiya Janata Party has served in several coalition governments and, until 2004, was the leading party in government. In the USA, religion continues to have a major impact on both domestic politics and the country s international relations. More obviously perhaps, in the Middle East, religion plays an enormous part in political life, both domestically and internationally, while the Roman Catholic Church has played a leading role in the turn to democracy in Spain, Poland, and several Latin American countries. Volume I ( The World Religions and Politics ) of this new four-volume collection from Routledge focuses on the major world religions and the roles they play in politics. Volume II ( Religion and Governance ) brings together key work on: religion and secularization; religious fundamentalism; the relationship between church and state; religion and democracy; and religion and civil society. Volume III ( Religion and International Relations ), meanwhile, assembles vital scholarship on religion and foreign policy, globalization, and terrorism. Finally, Volume IV collects work on Religion, Development, and Security to examine religion and conflict; religion, gender, and politics; faith-based development aid; religion and science; and religion and human rights. With a full index and a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, that places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Religion and Politics is an essential one-stop reference resource."
In the early twenty-first century, it has been frequently observed that there has been a resurgence of religion – often political forms of – in both national and international contexts. Many religions have been affected (including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism) to differing degrees in various parts of the world (for example, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and the United States).
Numerous examples of the growing political influence of religion have been noted, including in Europe, once thought to be inexorably secularising, and in India, officially secular, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) served in several coalition governments and until 2004 was the leading party in government. In the USA, religion has had a major impact on both domestic politics and the country’s international relations. In the Middle East, religion plays an enormous role in political life, domestically and internationally. In addition, Jewish religious parties currently serve in the Olmert government in Israel, while the Roman Catholic Church was a leading player in the recent turn to democracy in Spain, Poland, and several Latin American countries in recent years. In sum, there are numerous examples of recent religious involvement in politics in various parts of the world, in both domestic and international contexts.
Volume One focuses on ‘The World Religions and Politics’, and examines all the major world religions and the roles they play in politics across the globe. Volume Two examines ‘Religion and Governance’, and includes articles on religion and secularisation, religious fundamentalisms, Church and State, religion and democracy, and religion and civil society. Volume Three considers ‘Religion and International Relations’, taking in religion and foreign policy, globalisation, and terrorism. Volume Four takes articles on ‘Religion, Security and Development’ to examine religion and conflict, religion, gender, and politics, faith-based development aid, religion and science, and religion and human rights.
With a full index, together with a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, that places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Religion and Politics is an essential one-stop source of reference.