Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective
The One, The Few, and The Many

This book examines religion and politics in diverse countries or regions.

Ted Gerard Jelen (Edited by), Clyde Wilcox (Edited by)

9780521659710, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 1 April 2002

352 pages, 14 tables
22.9 x 15.3 x 2.4 cm, 0.466 kg

'This book is recommended to those who wish to go deeper, and to consider religion locally as a source of 'unity, controversy or diversity.' Andrew Wingate, Church Times

Religion is resurgent across the globe. In many countries religion is a powerful source of political mobilization, and in some a potent social cleavage. In some religion reinforces the state, in others it provides the space for resistance. This book contains a series of detailed studies examining religion and politics in specific countries or regions. The cases include countries with one dominant religious tradition, and others with two or more competing traditions. They include Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Hinduism, Shinto and Buddhism. They include states where religion and politics are closely linked, and others with at least a low wall of separation between church and state. The cases are organized by the type of religious marketplace, but allow many other comparisons as well. We develop some generalizations from the cases, and hope that they will be a fertile source of theorizing for others.

1. Introduction: the one and the many - religion and politics in comparative perspective Ted G. Jelen and Clyde Wilcox
2. The challenge of pluralism: the Catholic church in democratic Poland Timothy A. Byrnes
3. Catholicism, politics, and culture in the Republic of Ireland Michele Dillon
4. Religion and politics in Iberia: clericalism, anticlericalism and democratization in Portugal and Spain Paul Christopher Manuel
5. The religious dimension of Israeli political life Kenneth D. Wald
6. Between heaven and earth: the dilemma of the Islamic Republic of Iran Sussan Siavoshi
7. Islamism in contemporary Arab politics: lessons in authoritarianism and democratization Mehran Tamadonfar
8. Religion and politics in a secular Europe: cutting against the grain J. Christopher Soper and Joel Fetzer
9. Religion and democracy in South America: challenges and opportunities Anthony Gill
10. Looking for hope in Central America: the Pentecostal movement Anne Motley Hallum
11. Religion and politics in India: the emergence of Hindu Nationalism and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunil K. Sahu
12. Religion and politics in Japan Maria Toyoda and Aiji Tanaka
13. Religion and politics in an open market: religious mobilization in the United States Clyde Wilcox and Ted G. Jelen
14. Conclusion: the political roles of religion Ted G. Jelen and Clyde Wilcox.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP], Sociology & anthropology [JH], Comparative religion [HRAC]