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Contends that postmodernism favors the expansion of popular religion as an ideology of mobilization & opposition in certain Third World settings. Theories on the relationship between religion & politics are discussed as background, & theses that the late 20th century has been characterized either by a resurgence of religion or by secularization are weighed against each other. It is argued that, although religion may have declined in importance in the industrialized world, various postmodern conditions (eg, socioeconomic displacement, globalization of communication, relativization of meaning) favor the replacement of secular oppositional ideologies (eg, socialism, liberal democracy) with politicized religion in many poor & developing countries. Its forms vary, but can generally be classified as either antimodern fundamentalism (eg, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, & Buddhist) or cultural/ethnic religiosity, found in difference variants in East Timor (Indonesia), Sudan, the former Yugoslavia, & Tibet. 1 Figure. E. Blackwell

A global analysis of the resurgence of religion as a sociopolitical force in the crisis of modernism. Eastern & Western societies are compared in terms of their sociocultural responses to the historical movement from premodern, to modern, to postmodern social structure. In this process, organized religion has languished as a moral force in public affairs & policy, creating the current dilemma: technological problems cannot be resolved solely by more technology, but require political & moral solutions. Recent years, however, have seen a worldwide revival of the relevance of religion in political decision making. Liberation theology in Latin America is studied as an example. It is concluded that as science & technology lose their credibility as solvers of human problems, there will be a political renewal based in religious concerns. M. Crowdes

This article seeks to consider the ways in which substitutes for religion have been found both through a discussion of the treatment of religion in the classical sociological theories of Weber, Durkheim and Marx and then the way in which in modern societies alternative sets of belief and practices which fulfi l the same function as religion have been developed in the Communist and the postCommunist and Western worlds.

The state has an obligation to respect the principle of religious freedom. According to that principle, religious orientation of the parents should not be questioned, but on the other side child should be protected by the state in the sense that religious practice of the parents is not harmful for development and well-being of the child. State policy can take a stand that it is exclusive right of parent to determine the religion of the child and to raise the child in a religious way, or instead of that, child of a certain age can have the right to choose own religion. Religious norms are connected to the law through the guarantying of religious rights and freedoms. Although the parent which exercises parental rights primarily raise the child, since the determination of religion is a matter that significantly affects the life of a child, the author's view is that a parent who does not exercise parental rights has the right to give consent to the choice or the change of child's religion, and without his consent, another parent cannot determine child's religion. Courts should avoid decisions that are based strictly on parents' religious beliefs. However, due to the parents' religious beliefs, the well-being of the child can be endangered (prohibition of undertaking medical interventions, blood transfusion). The author considers that existence of potential concrete risk is enough (a statement that medical intervention would not be allowed) so the parental responsibility, due to parent's religion, would be assigned to another parent.

Examines the role of secularism and religion in Jewish society and politics. This book also examines issues of religion, tradition and secularism in Israel, giving a fresh approach to the widening theoretical discussion regarding the thesis of secularisation and modernity and exploring the wider implications of this identity.

"This book offers a new interpretation of the rich narratives of Arab secularism contending that secularism as a set of ideas and a social movement is destined to loom large on the political and legal horizon of most Arab states. Youssef M. Choueiri provides a study of three moments in the development of secularism in the Arab World, the Machiavellian, the Alfierian and the Gramscian. It is within such a scope that secularism in its interaction with state-building projects, women's emancipation and religion is treated as an intellectual current and a discursive entity embedded in the political process of its diverse societies. Through the chapters Choueiri demonstrates how secularism occupies a pivotal presence in the religious and political life of the Arab world, exploring such interrelated configurations as indigenous contributions, diverse reforms and the impact of Western states. He concludes that secularism has become a moral prerequisite and a required vehicle in creating the necessary conditions for the success of democracy in the Middle East. Narratives of Secularism tackles the complexity and contemporary ramifications of the subject in a way that no previous single study has been able to. It will be relevant to both students and academics dealing with topics related to the Middle East including religion, politics, anthropology, and history"--

The links between religion and ethnic and/or political dividing lines has manifested itself in many different ways in contemporary conflicts. In this paper I present briefly the following two forms: religion as a cleavage line of groups in ethno-religious confrontations: struggles between Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims in the Balkans; of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland; of Sunni and Shia and Iraq; of Buddhists and Hindus in Sri Lanka; of Muslims and Catholics in Indonesia; and religion as a mechanism for legitimizing power in the form of State Religions: National-Catholicism in Francoism, which is likely to generate the formation of the internal religious enemy.

In jüngster Zeit ist in den USA ein Wandel in der politischen Rolle der Religionsgemeinschaften eingetreten: Sie beteiligen sich zunehmend sichtbar an der Gestaltung der nationalen Politik. Dies zeigt sich im Wahlverhalten großer religiöser Gruppen und an deren Bindungen an die beiden politischen Parteien. Fünf religiöse Gruppen sind hier besonders zu nennen: Katholiken, große protestantische Kirchen (mainline protestants), weiße evangelische Protestanten, schwarze Protestanten und Juden. Der Wandel hat besonders Katholiken und weiße Protestanten erfaßt. Sollte sich der Trend einer Involvierung der Kirchen in die Tagespolitik fortsetzen und verstärken, gefährden sie ihre eigentliche Rolle als Wahrer und Verkünder spiritueller und moralischer Werte. (SWP-Hld)

"Argues that Oakeshott's views on aesthetics, religion, and morality, which she places in the Augustinian tradition, are intimately linked to a creative moral personality that underlies his political theorizing. Also compares Oakeshott's Rationalism to Voegelin's concept of Gnosticism and considers both thinkers' treatment of Hobbes to delineate their philosophical differences"--Provided by publisher

"Civil War and Religion: Salafi-Jihadist Groups" published on by Oxford University Press.

Examines the decline of civil religion, issue of Judaism and democracy, and the religious concerns of the electorate.