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Regulating Religion: Case Studies from Around the Globe presents, through the inclusion of contributions by international scholars, a global examination of how a number of contemporary societies are regulating religious groups. It focuses on legal efforts to exert social control over such groups, especially through court cases, but also with selected major legislative attempts to regulate them. As such, this analysis falls within the broad area of the sociology of social control and more specifically, legal social control, a topic of great interest when studying how contemporary societies attempt to maintain social order. The factual details about social and legal developments in societies where religion has been defined as problematic include Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. This book will be of interest to researchers and students in the sociology of religion, the sociology of law, social policy, and religious studies as well as policy makers

The beginning of the book briefly describes ten groups, including such notables as the Raelian Movement, Soka Gakkai, The Family, Osho, ISKCON, Church Universal and Triumphant, Brama Kumaris, Scientology, and the Unification Church.

This article offers two main arguments, both of which have important corollaries. First, the author argues that religion, and a specific form of religion, played a major role in the downfall of communism and the Soviet Union. Acorollary is that religious motivations furnished important impetus to the development of democracy in former communist countries (FCC). Second, the author argues that courts, and more specifically constitutional courts in FCC, played a major role in promoting democracy in those nations. A corollary to that assertion is that constitution courts in most FCC have demonstrated considerable respect for and promotion of the role of religion in FCC. These assertions and their corollaries are discussed in light of scholarly studies on the place of religion in the modern constitutionalism movement in former colonial and communist countries.

This article offers two main arguments, both of which have important corollaries. First, the author argues that religion, & a specific form of religion, played a major role in the downfall of communism & the Soviet Union. A corollary is that religious motivations furnished important impetus to the development of democracy in former communist countries (FCC). Second, the author argues that courts, & more specifically constitutional courts in FCC, played a major role in promoting democracy in those nations. A corollary to that assertion is that constitution courts in most FCC have demonstrated considerable respect for & promotion of the role of religion in FCC. These assertions & their corollaries are discussed in light of scholarly studies on the place of religion in the modern constitutionalism movement in former colonial & communist countries. References. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc., copyright 2006 The American Academy of Political and Social Science.]

'Freedom of Religion Under the European Convention on Human Rights' by Carolyn Evans is reviewed.

Violence (broadly defined to include collective as well as individual violence) associated with the recent rise of newer religious groups or "cults," as well as longer-term minority religions, is examined, using a conflict orientation. The interactional nature of such violence is discussed, with accusations of violence concerning minority & newer religions placed in a conflict perspective that stresses the interdependency of religious groups & their opponents. Special attention is given to allegations of (1) violence derived from group teachings & practices, with a focus on major recent tragic events involving religious groups; & (2) violence directed against members & groups by others, including private individuals & organization, as well as governmental entities. Adapted from the source document.

The 'satanism scare' is a significant collective phenomenon which started gaining attention a decade or so ago in America, but has now spread to a number of Western countries. This article adopts a social constructionist perspective to analyse various structural factors and movements which have come together to give rise to the satanism scare as an international social problem. Special attention is paid to efforts of American anti‐satanist 'missionaries' in the spread of the satanism scare to other countries, including Australia and New Zealand. A new typology of types of 'objectivists' ‐ people who to varying degrees accept and promote the reality of Satan and satanism ‐ is used as an analytic device in the presentation.