Suchergebnisse

Is the evangelical God a democrat? Are his half billion worshipers in the "global South" missionaries for democracy, or an illiberal "new Christendom"? Despite both exaggerated fears & inflated hopes, evangelical Christians in the global South (Africa, Asia, & Latin America) are unlikely to bring dramatic political change -- whether in a democratic or authoritarian direction -- to their unsettled societies. Though evangelicals are assumed to be agents of the American religious Right & purveyors of militant "fundamentalism," their lower socioeconomic status often leads them to consider economics at least as important as "morality" & consequently to align with left-wing political movements perceived to be pro-poor. Furthermore, their inherent voluntarism, pluralism, & fissiparousness constrict their unity & capacity to promote any coherent political program, whether that of a new Christendom or democratic reformism. But these same factors also arguably foster a culture of vigilant dissent & active citizenship among otherwise quiescent & marginalized groups & in the long run equip evangelicals to play a democratizing role in the global South. Adapted from the source document.

Are humans naturally predisposed to religion and supernatural beliefs? If so, does this naturalness provide a moral foundation for religious freedom? This volume offers a cross-disciplinary approach to these questions, engaging in a range of contemporary debates at the intersection of religion, cognitive science, sociology, anthropology, political science, epistemology, and moral philosophy. The contributors to this original and important volume present individual, sometimes opposing points of view on the naturalness of religion thesis and its implications for religious freedom. Topics include the epistemological foundations of religion, the relationship between religion and health, and a discussion of the philosophical foundations of religious freedom as a natural, universal right, drawing implications for the normative role of religion in public life. By challenging dominant intellectual paradigms, such as the secularization thesis and the Enlightenment view of religion, the volume opens the door to a powerful and provocative reconceptualization of religious freedom.

Volume 2 of Christianity and Freedom illuminates how Christian minorities and transnational Christian networks contribute to the freedom and flourishing of societies across the globe, even amidst pressure and violent persecution. Featuring unprecedented field research by some of the world's most distinguished scholars, it documents the outsized role of Christians in promoting human rights and religious freedom; fighting injustice; stimulating economic equality; providing education, social services, and health care; and nurturing democratic civil society. Readers will come away surprised and sobered to learn how this very Christian link to freedom often invites persecution. What are the dimensions of persecution and how are Christians responding to that pressure? What resources - theological, social, or transnational - do they marshal in leavening their societies? What will be lost if the Christian presence is marginalized? The answers to these questions are of crucial relevance in a world awash with religious extremism and deepening instability