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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Print Price: $149.99

Format:
Paperback
296 pp.
30 photos; 4 tables; 3 maps, 7" x 9"

ISBN-13:
9780195438123

Copyright Year:
2012

Imprint: OUP Canada


Religion and Global Politics

Paul S. Rowe

Religion and Global Politics explores the complex interaction between faith and public life at the level of both individual societies and the global community. The book starts with a historical and theoretical overview - from the rise of religion as a political force to the establishment of secularism as a founding principle of the modern international system - followed by two sections. Part I focuses on the influence of specific religious traditions in various parts of the world. Part II investigates the roles that religion has played with respect to issues such as human rights, war, terrorism, conflict resolution, and globalization. Emphasizing the enduring potency of religious faith in public life, Religion and Global Politics urges readers to recognize religion as a key motivator of political action.

Readership : Third- and fourth-year undergraduate courses in political science or religious studies.

Reviews

  • "Excellent through and through. This is a volume . . . long overdue in the interdisciplinary field of religion and politics. The book can be successfully used with students in political science and religious studies."

    --Lucien Turcescu, Concordia University

  • "A book like this is a fine balancing act. . . . This [one] does it very well."

    --Peter Beyer, University of Ottawa

1. Introduction and Theoretical Overview
A New Beginning?
Religion in the Pre-modern International System
The Post-Westphalian System and the Secularization of Global Politics
Modernization and Secularization
Critiques of Secularization
Perspectives on the Politics of Ethnicity and Religion
Taking Culture Seriously
Responses to Globalization
9/11 and After
Understanding Religion: Definitions and Directions
Religion and Global Politics: A Survey
Part I: Religion and the Domestic Bases of State and Foreign Policy
2. The Roman Catholic Church
A Brief History of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church
The Modernizing Church: Changes under Vatican II
The Church and the Vatican Today
Liberation Theology
Responses to Liberation Theology
A Diversity of Political Movements
The Church under Benedict XVI
3. Christianity and US Politics
The 'City upon a Hill': Competing Themes in US Politics
Religion in American Public Life: A Historic Perspective
The Twentieth Century and 'Social Christianity'
Christianity and the US 'Mission' in the World: The Cold War
Streams of Christian Activism
The Rise of the 'Religious Right'
Onward Christian Soldiers?
Seeds of a Middle Way
Other Religions and US Politics
4. Judaism, Zionism, and Israeli Politics
A Brief History of Zionism
Dimensions of Zionism to 1948
Political and Ethnic Divisions in the State of Israel
'Greater Israel'
The Settler Movement and the Rise of Israeli Revisionism
The Rise of Shas
Religious Parties and Coalition Politics
The Wider Coalition: Christian Zionism
5. Political Islam and the State
Introduction to Islam
The Fusion of Islam and Politics: A Contentious Debate
The Medieval and Colonial Ages
The Birth of Modern Islamic Activism
Revolutions and Revivalism: Islamism to the 1980s
The Crucible of Radicalization: Afghanistan, bin Laden, and Militant Jihad
Islamism Today: Democrats and Demagogues
The Sunni-Shi'i Divide
6. Religion and Politics in India
What Is Hinduism?
Hinduism, Islam, and Indian Independence
The Rise of Hindu Nationalism
Sikh and Hindu Nationalist Movements in the 1980s
The Ayodhya Incident and the Rise of the BJP
Hindutva, Foreign Policy, and the Issue of Kashmir
Flashpoints and Pressures: The Continuing Problem of Interreligious Relations
7. Buddhism and Politics
Buddhism's Rise and Eclipse in India
The Basic Tenets and Vehicles of Buddhism
Sri Lanka: Buddhism Betrayed?
Buddhism in East and Southeast Asia: Protest and Peace
Tibetan Nationalism: Unattainable Nirvana?
Part II: Religion and Global Order
8. Religion, Democracy, and Human Rights
Religion and the Expansion of Liberal Democracy
Human Rights and Constraints on Religious Freedom
Religions, Human Rights, and Democracy
Religion in International Human Rights
Religion and Human Rights in Practice
Religious Freedom and the Politics of Human Rights
9. Religion and War
'Religious' Wars of the Past
Religion and War in the Modern World
The Just War Tradition
The Tradition of War in Islam
Himsa and Ahimsa Traditions in Hinduism and Buddhism
Religion and Terrorism
10. Religion and Conflict Resolution
Religious Resources for Conflict Resolution
Religious Activism in Support of Conflict Resolution
Religion as Interested Observer
Religion as Peacemaker
Religion as Protagonist
Religion as Peace
11. Transnational Religion, Globalization, and Development
Religion and Globalization
The Influence of Transnational Organization: Global Religious Networks
Religion, the Media, and the Global Political Sphere
Migration, Religion, and Integration
Religion and Development
A Divided World? Notions of Division Based on Religion and Civilization
12. Conclusion: Religion in a 'Secular' Age?
The Rise and Decline of the Secular State
A Secular Age?
Hostility or Hospitality?

Instructor's Manual:
For each chapter:
Learning objectives
Key concepts
Chapter overview
5-10 suggested teaching aids (books, news/journal articles, film clips, web links)
3-5 suggested topics for discussion/debate
PowerPoint Slides:
15-20 slides per chapter
Test Bank:
For each chapter:
10-15 multiple-choice questions
10-15 true-or-false questions
3-5 short-answer questions
Answer key with page references
E-Book (ISBN 9780199000142):
Available through CourseSmart.com

Paul S. Rowe is Associate Professor in Political Studies and Coordinator of International Studies at Trinity Western University, in Langley, BC, Canada. Dr. Rowe grew up in Canada and completed undergraduate and master's work at the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University. He completed his PhD in Political Science at McGill University in 2003. His research interests lie in the politics of religion in the developing world and at the global level, with a special interest in the Middle East and South Asia.

Making Sense - Margot Northey and Joan McKibbin
Politics in the Developing World - Edited by Peter Burnell, Vicky Randall and Lise Rakner
The Companion to Development Studies - Vandana Desai and Robert B. Potter
Making Sense - Margot Northey and Joan McKibbin

Special Features

  • Unique and balanced focus. The only text of its kind to offer a balanced treatment of both politics and religion with a particular emphasis on the way that religion affects politics.
  • Interdisciplinary approach. Draws from a range of disciplines - from political science and religious studies to sociology and international relations - to invite students to consider the intersections between religion and politics in new ways.
  • Global perspective. Combines insights from both the developed and developing world exposing students to diverse traditions and contexts that will be relatable to the multicultural Canadian classroom.
  • Thought-provoking discussions. In-depth explorations of religion's role in the world today encourage students to think critically about controversial issues.
  • Engaging context. Case studies from several nations and regions throughout the world, including the United States, Europe, India, South and East Asia, and Latin America, bring issues to life, allowing students to contextualize theory with examples from real situations.
  • Helpful pedagogical resources. Review questions, boxed content, extensive bibliographies, and recommended websites, along with photos of significant people and places, bolded key terms, and an end-of-text glossary, help students engage with a challenging subject.
  • Map of the world. Students can refer to the inside front cover for a map of the world by religion.