Religion and Authoritarianism
Cooperation, Conflict, and the Consequences

This book examines the political consequences of growing religiosity in countries where politics are repressive and religious freedoms are in flux.

Karrie J. Koesel (Author)

9781107684072, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 24 February 2014

237 pages, 20 b/w illus. 1 table
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm, 0.33 kg

'Koesel's comparative analysis is rich and persuasive, demonstrating one can theorize about cooperation beyond a single authoritarian case study. While regime type influences religious actors' likelihood of cooperating with autocrats, it does not determine whether local states cooperate with religious organizations. Koesel's findings also suggest incentives leading to cooperation cut across religions. … Koesel's book is a must read for scholars of comparative authoritarianism, the sociology of religion, and Chinese politics and society.' Marie-Eve Reny, Journal of Chinese Political Science

This book provides a rare window into the micropolitics of contemporary authoritarian rule through a comparison of religious-state relations in Russia and China - two countries with long histories of religious repression, and even longer experiences with authoritarian politics. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in multiple sites in these countries, this book explores what religious and political authority want from one another, how they negotiate the terms of their relationship, and how cooperative or conflicting their interactions are. This comparison reveals that while tensions exist between the two sides, there is also ample room for mutually beneficial interaction. Religious communities and their authoritarian overseers are cooperating around the core issue of politics - namely, the struggle for money, power and prestige - and becoming unexpected allies in the process.

1. Introduction: the politics of religion
2. Religion and state games
3. Regulating the religious marketplace
4. The political economy of religious revival
5. The politics of faith, power, and prestige
6. Conclusion: cooperation, conflict, and the consequences.

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB], Politics & government [JP], Sociology [JHB]