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In Paris in the autumn of 1989 three Muslim girls, observing their own religious custom, went to school wearing Muslim headscarves. The ensuing political storm, which continued unabated into 1990, has brought sharply into focus one of the fundamental questions related to Western democracy: the nature of the relationship between religion and the state. The 'scarves affair' was primarily a dispute between practitioners of Islam and the secular state. However, the controversy in France and similar recent controversies elsewhere have forced a general and radical reappraisal of the wide and complex.

Containing over 200 articles from prominent scholars, The Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion examines ways in which politics and religion have combined to affect social attitudes, spark collective action and influence policy over the last two hundred years. With a focus that covers broad themes like millenarian movements and pluralism, and a scope that takes in religious and political systems throughout the world, the Encyclopedia is essential for its contemporary as well as historical coverage. Special Features:* Encompasses religions, individuals, geographical.

Despite the commonly held Western view that secularisation has taken religion out of the political sphere, the relationship between religion and politics is at the heart of many of the critical issues of our time. The role of the church in nationalist movements in Eastern Europe, and the influence of Islam on Middle Eastern politics are two clear examples. Politics and Religion in the Modern World sets out to examine what makes religion and politics such a potent combination in countries around the world. It is an important analysis of the relationship between religion and politics, which will be recommended reading for students of political science, religious studies, and sociology.