Full Description
This book critically reviews state-religion models and the ways in which different countries manage religious diversity, illuminating different responses to the challenges encountered in accommodating both majorities and minorities. The country cases encompass eight world regions and 23 countries, offering a wealth of research material suitable to support comparative research. Each case is analysed in depth looking at historical trends, current practices, policies, legal norms and institutions.
By looking into state-religion relations and governance of religious diversity in regions beyond Europe, we gain insights into predominantly Muslim countries (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia), countries with pronounced historical religious diversity (India and Lebanon) and into a predominantly migrant pluralist nation (Australia). These insights can provide a basis for re-thinking European models and learning from experiences of governing religious diversity in other socio-economic and geopolitical contexts. Key analytical and comparative reflections inform the introduction and concluding chapters.
This volume offers a research and study companion to better understand the connection between state-religion relations and the governance of religious diversity in order to inform both policy and research efforts in accommodating religious diversity. Given its accessible language and further readings provided in each chapter, the volume is ideally suited for undergraduate and graduate students. It will also be a valuable resource for researchers working in the wider field of ethnic, migration, religion and citizenship studies.
Contents
1. The Governance of Religious Diversity: Challenges and Responses Part I: Western Europe 2. Belgium: Devolved Federalism 3. France: From Laïcité to Laicism? 4. Germany: Federal Corporatism 5. The United Kingdom: Weak Establishment and Pragmatic Pluralism Part II: Southern Europe 6. The Italian Case: 'Baptised Laicità' and a Changing Demographic 7. Spain: All Religions are Equal, but Some are More Equal than Others 8. Greece: The 'Prevailing Religion' and the Governance of Diversity Part III: Central Eastern Europe and Russia 9. Hungary: Religion as the Government's Political Tool 10. Lithuania: The Predicament of the Segregation of Religions 11. Slovakia: Fear of New Religious Minorities 12. Russia: Governance of Religion - What, How, and Why Part IV: South-Eastern Europe 13. Bulgaria: Strong Cultural Legacies, Weak Institutions, and Political Instrumentalisation of Religion 14. Albania: Legacy of Shared Culture and History for Religious Tolerance 15. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Persisting Ethno-Religious Divide Part V: The MENA Region 16. Turkey: Whither Secularism? 17. Lebanon: Confessionalism and the Problem of Divided Loyalties 18. Egypt: Religious Diversity in an Age of Securitisation 19. Tunisia: Governing the Religious Sphere After 2011 20. Morocco: Governing Religious Diversity Part VI: South and Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific 21. India: The Challenge of Being Plural and Multicultural 22. Indonesia: A Complex Experience of Religious Diversity Governance 23. Malaysia: A Secular Constitution Under Siege? 24. Australia: Diversity, Neutrality, and Exceptionalism 25. Governing Religious Diversity Across the World: Comparative Insights
