The Secular and the Sacred
Nation, Religion and Politics
Published on 31. January 2002
Book
Hardback
280 pages
978-0-7146-5368-6 (ISBN)
Description
What is the place of religion in modern political systems? This volume addresses that question by focusing on ten countries across several geographic areas: Western and East-Central Europe, North America, the Middle East and South Asia. These countries are comparable in the sense that they are committed to constitutional rule, have embraced a more or less secular culture, and have formal guarantees of freedom of religion. Yet in all the cases examined here religion impinges on the political system in the form of legal establishment, semi-legitimation, subvention, and/or selective institutional arrangements and its role is reflected in cultural norms, electoral behaviour and public policies. The relationship between religion and politics comes in many varieties in differing countries, yet all are faced with three major challenges: modernity, democracy and the increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-religious nature of their societies.
Reviews / Votes
'Safran's volume succeeds marvellously at documenting the role that religion continues to play in modern democracies ... [it] stands as an example of the high standards to which all scholarly books should aspire.' - Nationalism and Ethnic PoliticsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Weight
566 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7146-5368-6 (9780714653686)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
08/2004
1st Edition
Routledge
€43.99
Available for download
E-Book
08/2004
1st Edition
Routledge
€43.99
Available for download
Book
01/2002
Routledge
€73.22
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Content
Religion and politics in American democracy, Horst Mewes; religion and politics in the United States, Corwin Smidt, Lyman Kellstedt, John Green, James Guth; religion and "Laiecite" in a Jacobin republic - the case of France, William Safran; the significance of religion in British politics, Josephine E. Squires; religion, national identity and the conflict in Northern Ireland, Adrian Guelke; chutch and state after transition to democracy - the case of Spain, Victor Urrutia Abaigar; Poland's transition to a democratic republic - the taming of the sacred?, Ray Taras; Greece - a problematic secular state, Adamantia Pollis; religion and collective identity - the ethnopolitical barriers to democratization in the Balkans, Steven Majstorovic; religion, politics and democracy in Turkey, Joseph S. Szyliowicz; religion and state in Israel - another round of an ancient conflict among the Jews, Ira Sharkansky; secularism in India - accepted principle, contentious interpretation, Swarna Rajagopalan.