1st Edition

Politics of Religion A Survey

Edited By Jeffrey Haynes Copyright 2006
    296 Pages
    by Routledge

    296 Pages
    by Routledge

    This title explores some of the key issues which surround the politics of religion, an area which has historically been the cause of great controversy. Today religion is still the cause of a great deal of political debate, be it the teaching of the creationist theory in the United States or the relationship of church and state in Arabic countries. Four sections present a thorough overview of the politics of religion in historical perspective:

    • Essay chapters written by a variety of academic and other experts on the major world religions and their relationship with politics, and on topics including religious fundamentalism, church and state and religious terrorism, providing background analysis of the links between religion and politics.
    • A – Z glossary of religions, religious groups, ideas and issues, including entries on Agnosticism, Bradford Council of Mosques, Muslim Brotherhood, Nirvana, the World Council of Churches, etc. Entries are up-to-date and cross referenced for ease of use, and symbols at the end of each entry denote to which major religion(s) the entry refers.
    • Maps for reference, showing adherents to major religions worldwide, adherents to religions in the Middle East, and adherents to the major sub-types of Christianity.

    This title offers up-to-date and unbiased information that will provide a wealth of information to students, academics, business people and general researchers.

    1. Essays: 1. Buddhism and Politics Peter G. Friedlander; 2. Christianity and Politics Jeffrey Haynes; 3. Rethinking the Myths of Islamic Politics Claire Heristchi and Andrea Teti; 4. Judaism and Politics Shmuel Sandler; 5. Hinduism and Politics James Chiriyankandath; 6. Religion and the Modern State John Madeley; 7. Religious Fundamentalism and Politics Jeffrey Haynes; 8. On the Nature of Religious Terrorism Adam Dolnik and Rohan Gunaratna; 9. Religion and Democracy John Anderson; 10. Religious Transnational Actors Jeffrey Haynes; 2. A-Z Glossary; 3. Maps; 4. Select Bibliography

    Biography

    Professor Jeffrey Haynes is Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion, Conflict and Cooperation at London Metropolitan University. He is recognised as an international authority in five separate areas: religion and international relations; religion and politics; democracy and democratisation; development studies; and comparative politics and globalisation. Professor Haynes has written many books, journal articles and book chapters, totalling around 160 such publications since 1986. They include a 17,000-word discussion paper for the Geneva-based United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, ‘Religion, Fundamentalism and Identity: A Global Perspective’ (1995), ‘Religious Transnational Actors and Soft Power’ (2012), and ‘Religion and Politics in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa’ (2010). Professor Haynes is convenor of the ECPR’s Religion and Politics Standing Group, vice-chair of the International Political Science Association’s Research Centre, ‘Religion and Politics’ and co-editor of the journal, Democratization, published by Taylor and Francis.