Religion and Civil Society in Europe

J. de Hart, The Netherl. Inst. for Soc. Res. (SCP), The Hague, Netherlands; P. Dekker, Tilburg

University, Tilburg, Netherlands; L. Halman, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands (Eds.)

Religion is back again in Europe after never having been gone. It is manifest in the

revival of religious institutions and traditions in former communist countries, in political

controversies about the relationship between the church(es) and the state and about

the freedom of religion and the freedom to criticize religion, and in public unease about

religious minorities. This book is about religion and civil society in Europe. It moves from

general theoretical and normative approaches of this relationship, via the examination of

national patterns of religion-state relations, to in-depth analyses of the impact of religion

and secularization on the values, pro-social attitudes and civic engagement of individuals.

It covers Europe from the Lutheran North to the Catholic South, and from the secularized

West to the Orthodox East and Islamic South-East with comparative analyses and country

studies, concluding with an overall Europe-USA comparison.

http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/book/978-94-007-6814-7

productFlyer_978-94-007-6814-7.pdf

Announcing a New Series “Religion in Modern Africa”
Published by Ashgate

Ashgate Publications announces the launching of a new series entitled ?Religion in Modern Africa?. Series editors are James L. Cox, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies in the University of Edinburgh, and Gerrie ter Haar, Emeritus Professor of Religion and Development in the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The editors invite proposals containing innovative research relevant to the diverse and changing religious situation in contemporary Africa. One of the principal aims of the series is to facilitate the dissemination of research by young African scholars. “Religion in Modern Africa” is fully interdisciplinary and will include books from a range of disciplines, such as: the academic study of religions, anthropology, sociology and related disciplines in the human and social sciences.

In the first instance, authors should send a one-page proposal outlining the main content of their manuscript to the editors, with a copy to Sarah Lloyd (the Ashgate Religion Editor) at the emails noted below. If the editors consider the proposal appropriate to the aims of the series, they will invite the author to complete a full proposal, which will be reviewed and submitted to Ashgate for final approval.

Please direct initial proposals or questions regarding the series to:

James L. Cox (J.Cox@ed.ac.uk)
Gerrie ter Haar (terhaar@iss.nl)
Sarah Lloyd (SLloyd@ashgatepublishing.com)

Legal Pluralism and Shari’a Law

Edited by Adam Possamai, James T. Richardson, Bryan Turner

Published 17th July 2013 by Routledge

Legal pluralism has often been associated with post-colonial legal developments especially where common law survived alongside tribal and customary laws. Focusing on Shari‘a, this book examines the legal policies and experiences of various societies with different traditions of citizenship, secularism and common law. Where large diasporic communities of migrants develop, there will be some demand for the institutionalization of Shari‘a at least in the resolution of domestic disputes. This book tests the limits of multiculturalism by exploring the issue that any recognition of cultural differences might imply similar recognition of legal differences. It also explores the debate about post-secular societies specifically to the presentation and justification of beliefs and institutions by both religious and secular citizens.

This book was published as a special issue of Democracy and Security.

http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415826334/

Legal Pluralism and Shari’a Law.pdf

Critical Reflections on Indigenous Religions
Edited by James L. Cox, University of Edinburgh, UK

‘From its inception, the discipline of religious studies adhered to a two-tier framework in which local, oral and ancestral religious traditions were subordinated in intellectual status and moral value to universal, textual and doctrinal ones. This wide-ranging and provocative volume marks a further decisive stage in the demolition of that framework. It will not conclude the debate about the definition of “indigenous religions” – for the contributors themselves engage with each other in that debate – but it will inform and sustain it for years to come.’ Brian Stanley, University of Edinburgh, UK

The study of indigenous religions has become an important academic field, particularly since the religious practices of indigenous peoples are being transformed by forces of globalization and transcontinental migration. This book will further our understanding of indigenous religions by first considering key methodological issues related to defining and contextualizing the religious practices of indigenous societies, both historically and in socio-cultural situations. Two further sections of the book analyse cases derived from European contexts, which are often overlooked in discussion of indigenous religions, and in two traditional areas of study: South America and Africa.

http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781409445005

Critical Reflections on Indigenous Religions Aug 2013 (2).pdf

Sites and Politics of Religious Diversity in Southern Europe

Edited by Ruy Blanes and José Mapril

Sites and Politics

In recent years, the Southern borders of Europe have become landmarks for the mediatic and academic verve regarding the migration and diasporas towards and beyond ‘Schengen Europe’. In these debates, religion is acknowledged as playing a central role in the recognition of major societal changes in the continent, being object of political concern and attention: from the recognition of plural forms of Christianity to the debates on a ‘European Islam’. Yet, in this respect, what goes on around the borders of Portugal, Spain, Italy or Greece is still largely uncharted and un-debated. With the contribution of renowned anthropologists, sociologists and religious studies scholars, this book critically presents and discusses case studies on the sites and politics of religious diversity in Southern Europe, including the impact of migrant religiosity in national and EU politics.

More info at: http://www.brill.com/sites-and-politics-religious-diversity-southern-europe

Why the West Fears Islam
An Exploration of Muslims in Liberal Democracies
By Jocelyne Cesari
http://us.macmillan.com/whythewestfearsislam/JocelyneCesari
“Based on several years of empirical surveys among Muslims in Europe and the US, the book states that the current political fear of Islam cannot be explained by Muslims’ behaviors as citizens and believers. Actually, most of surveys show that Islam is a resource more than an obstacle in the social and political integration of Muslims in western societies. How then can we explain the increasing resistance to the presence of Islam in the West? Cesari identifies three main reasons that make Islam and Muslims the internal and external enemy of the West: the securitization of Islam due to the War on Terror, the specificity of European secularism that tends to reject religious manifestations from public space, and the increasing visibility of salafism, mistakenly taken as the “true” Islam by non Muslims by more and more Muslims as well”.