The Price of Freedom Denied
Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century

This book examines the extent and causes of contemporary religious persecution and conflict.

Brian J. Grim (Author), Roger Finke (Author)

9780521197052, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 6 December 2010

272 pages, 32 b/w illus. 29 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.57 kg

'[A] dense and thought-provoking book … with the dispassion and technical sophistication of a NASA camera photographing Earth.' Jonathan Benthall, The Times Literary Supplement

The Price of Freedom Denied shows that, contrary to popular opinion, ensuring religious freedom for all reduces violent religious persecution and conflict. Others have suggested that restrictions on religion are necessary to maintain order or preserve a peaceful religious homogeneity. Brian J. Grim and Roger Finke show that restricting religious freedoms is associated with higher levels of violent persecution. Relying on a new source of coded data for nearly 200 countries and case studies of six countries, the book offers a global profile of religious freedom and religious persecution. Grim and Finke report that persecution is evident in all regions and is standard fare for many. They also find that religious freedoms are routinely denied and that government and the society at large serve to restrict these freedoms. They conclude that the price of freedom denied is high indeed.

1. Religious persecution: pervasive and pernicious
2. Religious freedom: broken promises
3. Persecution: the price of freedoms denied
4. A closer look: Japan, Brazil and Nigeria
5. A closer look: China, India and Iran
6. What about Muslim-majority countries?
7. Do religious freedoms really matter?
Appendix. Testing the competing arguments.

Subject Areas: Political control & freedoms [JPV], Comparative politics [JPB], Political science & theory [JPA], Sociology: customs & traditions [JHBT], Religious issues & debates [HRAM]