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In a comment on Richard F. Tomasson's 1980 book about Iceland, the American sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset notes that Tomasson 'traces the ways in which Icelandic culture developed out of the medieval pre-Christian society – in its language, relations between the sexes, egalitarianism and the high frequency of illegitimate births. He also points out the areas of contradictions and discontinuity, noting that Iceland has been transformed in the twentieth century by modernization of the society and international influences upon the culture.' The purpose of this essay is to give a more in-depth analysis of some of Tomasson's observations with regard to the status and role of religion in this society. Iceland appears to be a very secular society, but up to very recent times, the national church had a strong position in Icelandic society, and its participation in the life-rituals of families, in national festivals, and in local rituals and festivities has been considered self-evident by the authorities and a large majority of the people. A very homogeneous culture and strong nationalism have a role here to play, but there were also seeds of individualism and pragmatism which may have led the way to differentiation and secularization. Secularization and modernization went hand in hand with the national liberation movement, but nevertheless the national church also made a major contribution to the nation-state building process. It would seem that the Icelanders have throughout their history been more political than religious – and often they seem to have been tolerant in religious and moral issues but fundamentalists in political matters. At least it seems profitable to analyse the reli- gious history of Iceland – the conversion of Iceland at the Alþingi in the summer of 1000; the Reformation in the mid-16th century, and the rapid process of modernization in Iceland – in the context of the political history. Foreigners have often wondered about the liberal attitude of Icelanders in relation to premarital sex, and often they ask why spiritualism and belief in elves and hidden people seem to have survived modernization and secularization. Other possible paradoxes include the very recent appearance of non-Christian religions, such as the Asa faith (which is supposed to revive the pre-Christian religion in Iceland), Islam and Buddhism. And how are we to understand the general support, even among the clergy, for same-sex marriages? In my essay I will try to contextualize these and related questions into an overall picture of the religious history of the Icelandic people.

Religion plays an important role in contemporary politics, both as a public and political actor, and as set of values. As a public actor, religion widely participates in the political spheres of European countries. At the same time, both European and non-European societies are experiencing a profound reshaping of their political landscapes. In these contexts, it has become clear that new modes of governance redraw the boundaries between institutional actors and citizens, and create space for horizontal and/or transnational networks. Today, the separation between religion and politics is being questioned more or less radically, and the meaning and the substance of democracy likewise. This special issue aims to offer a wide range of examples of studies focusing on the interactions between religion and politics from different disciplinary perspectives and scientific traditions. Ranging from single case studies to transnational comparative analyses, from sociology of religion to political science, and from the analysis of specific religious traditions to comparative studies, the articles presented offer a useful insight of topics and debates. This heterogeneity allows the readers to have an overview on some of the most important religious actors (movements, associations, groups and, parties in contemporary democracies, such as Christian traditional parties in Europe and the US, Islamist groups in Turkey and in Pakistan. At the same time, this collection of article shows different approaches through which is possible to analyse these movements, such as cross-country comparative approaches, comparison between different cases of religious groups' collective action within the same national contexts or in the same urban area, or in-depth case studies of the specific role of religious groups in a broader national mobilization. The common element of these different contributions is the objective of looking at the complex relationships between religious organizations (both movements and parties) and political mobilizations, ...

Introduction: the view from Silicon Valley -- Religion and politics in the new global paradigm -- A new paradigm for world politics? -- A political perspective on religion and politics -- A religious perspective on religion and politics -- The religions of the book, meditative experience, and public life -- Religion in contemporary world politics -- The west : Christianity, secularization, and immigration -- East Asia : modernization and ideology -- South and central Asia : the legacies of Gandhi and Khomeini and the bomb -- The Middle East and North Africa : Jewish and Islamic politics -- Latin America : indigenous religions, Christianity, and globalization -- Religion and politics for the next millennium -- Appendix I: Thirty years of Nobel Peace prize winners, 1975-2004 -- Appendix II: Paradigm chart and category questions.

"Explores history and development of Umbanda from its beginnings in Rio de Janeiro during 1920s to late 1970s. Describes changes in ritual forms, geographic distribution, and increase in followers as Umbanda was transformed from marginal to a widely accepted religion"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57

Frontmatter -- Contents -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Religio-political Nexus: Historical and Comparative Reflections -- 3 Politics and Religion in a Global Age -- 4 Comparative Secularisms and the Politics of Modernity -- 5 Europe in the Global Rise of Religious Nationalism -- 6 The European Union's Civil Religion in the Making? -- 7 Democracy, Secularism and Islam in Turkey -- 8 Orthodox Religion and Politics in Post-Soviet Russia -- 9 Religion and Politics, Church and State in Chinese History -- 10 Religion and the State in Contemporary Japan -- 11 Arab Revolutions and Political Islam: A Structural Approach -- 12 Beyond Post-secularism: Religion in Political Analysis (Review Article) -- Notes on the Contributors -- Index

Combining theoretical and empirical research, these 12 essays examine the role of religion and its prospects in Europe. On the one hand, the volume discusses growing Islamic presence in Europe as a reminder of enduring religious pluralism, not least in view of the high prominence given to Islamic experience in arguments against over-generalised notions of secularisation. On the other hand, it explores the question of Christian motivated extremism and religious nationalism. Against this background, the contributors discuss the role of religion in other countries throughout the worldincluding China, Japan, Russia and the MENA region. Debates on religion and politics have, to a high degree, focused on contrasts between Europe and other parts of the world; the long-established assumption that modern societies are on a secularising path seemed have a stronger claim to validity in Europe than elsewhere. This book shows that, if European modernity does represent an exit from religion, this historical process and its implications are still very imperfectly understood.