Until the 1990s, secularism was understood largely as exclusion of religion from the public domain. However, in the last two decades, the world has witnessed the return of religion as a medium and subject of national, regional, and global politics. With such a shift, the previously unquestioned Western values of modernity and secularism find themselves at loggerheads with the increasing assertion of religious identity, which results in difference-based conflicts. This antagonism also gives rise to a vibrant, religiously pluralistic civil society and speaks of a post-secular turn in modern Southeast Asian democracies. Secularism, Religion, and Democracy in Southeast Asia tries to understand the rise of religion in modern democracies and how everyday economic, social, and political conditions aid this post-secular phenomenon in Southeast Asia. Setting itself apart from most studies of religion in Southeast Asia through its regional focus, this volume explores the ideas, practices, state responses, and anxieties related to the religious–secular divide in this geopolitical region.

Religion and Representation: Islam and Democracy brings together a series of reflections, studies and observations that examine the complex relationship between political representation and Islam. Through the perspectives of theology, history, sociology, philosophy and political science, contributions to this volume explore the connections between religious beliefs, religiosity, political ideals and political behaviour. Grounded in the experience of both Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority states, the chapters represent a broad cross-section of approaches that emerge from a process of exchange and dialogue, which began with a three-day conference in London, Canada in March 2012. Beyond demonstrating how Islam and democracy are compatible, the authors in this volume employ theological reasoning, theoretical insight, logical argumentation and empirical data to explore in detail the points of connection. Contributions encompass a broad spectrum of interpretations of Islam, as well as consideration of critical and compelling issues and controversies across a range of contemporary settings.

This work - previously published as a special issue of the journal 'Democratization' - brings together essays that offer theoretical and empirical insights into the relationship between religion and democracy.

This innovative volume is focused on the impact of religion on the realization of democratic citizenship. The researchers contributing provide empirical evidence on how religion influences attitudes towards citizenship and democracy in different countries. The book also tackles the challenges and opportunities for citizenship education. Experts contributing from sociology, political science, theology, and educational science look at the impact of religious beliefs and practices on democratic attitudes and behavior. Chapters also concern how religion influences the recognition of others as citizens. The text appeals to graduates and researchers in these fields with a secondary market for the general interest reader.

"This book puts forward the most sophisticated and subtle treatment available on the relation between religion and politics and church (synagogue, mosque, temple) and state. Thiemann has taken our impoverished discourse on these matters to new heights and higher ground." --Cornel West. [from back cover.]

The need for global democratisation is now widely recognised, but there is considerable debate about what this means and how it can be achieved. In this important study John de Gruchy examines the historic and contemporary roles of Christianity in the development of democracy. He traces the gestation of modern democracy in medieval Christendom, and then describes the virtual breakdown of the relationship as democracy becomes the polity of modernity. Five twentieth-century case studies - the USA, Nicaragua, sub-Saharan Africa, Germany and South Africa - demonstrate the extent to which ecumenical Christianity has begun to reconnect with democracy and act as its contemporary midwife. De Gruchy argues that democracy needs to rediscover its spiritual heritage, while Christianity needs to develop a theology adequate for its participation in the realisation of a just democratic world order.

This book explores the relationship between religion and citizenship from a culturally diverse group of contributors, in the context of the developing tendency towards fundamentalist and conflicting religious beliefs in European, North African, and Middle Eastern societies. The chapters provide an alternative narrative of the role of religion, presenting diverse ‘lived shades’ of citizenship, as well as accounting for issues of gender equality, minority rights, violence, identity, education, and secularisation. As the renewed role of religious institutions is increasing in Europe and elsewhere, the contributors interrogate the experience of belonging, public policy, welfare services and religious education, highlighting how cooperation between citizenship and religion is necessary in a democratic regime. The research will be of interest to students and scholars across sociology, international relations, and religious studies.

In a major original study, Graham Maddox analyses the role of religion in the development of democracy from the tribes of ancient Israel to the present day. The book contrasts Athenian direct democracy with the Old Testament monarchy in which the concept of religious opposition - vital to modern democracy - arose. Maddox then develops his discussion of the relationship between religion and democracy through early christianity to the Reformation and Calvinism, ending with a chapter on modern democracy. Maddox's contentious thesis concerning the development of democracy is truly interdisciplinary drawing on political science, religious history and theology.

This important new study empirically assesses the relationship between religion and democracy, looking at the global, regional and individual country picture. Using a wide range of quantitative data, Anckar tests the validity of Huntington’s claim that democracy and religion are tightly connected, and that western Christianity is the only religion capable of supporting democratic institutions. Anckar evaluates both the broader assumptions that the introduction and the stability of a democratic form of government is dependent on the dominating religion in the country at the macro level and the suggestion that at the individual level, religious adherence is related to pro-democratic values. The volume discusses how whilst at first sight Huntington’s theory appears to receive widespread support, on closer evaluation; there data reveals anomalies that merit further discussion. Whilst it appears that Christianity does seem to provide the most supportive environment democracy, Buddhist countries appear to have results similar to those where Islam is the predominant religion. The relationship between Islam and democracy is also subjected to an extensive discussion; key findings such as the fact that democracy seems to have the greatest chances of success in Muslim countries situated far from Mecca and Medina are developed and examined with important new conclusions reached. Examining religions including Christianity, Islam Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Taoism and Judaism, Anckar seeks to demonstrate that the political context is more important than religious affiliation for explaining attitudes towards democracy. Thus, at least from the individual perspective, religion is unimportant as an explanation for democratic values. In contrast to Huntington’s predictions, the results of this study will show that the future of democracy does not look so gloomy after all.

"Democracy isn't dead, it just smells funny". This variation of a quip about jazz by Frank Zappa sums up our current experience with democracy: even though most countries profess to have some sort of democracy, a change for the worse seems underfoot. As public theology has a strong affinity to democracy, a critical, interdisciplinary, ecumenical and interreligious assessment of how religions may help in furthering democratic forms of government seems appropriate. This book tries to undertake steps in this direction. It consists of three sections: the first tries to identify challenges and resources in the relationship between religion and democracy. The second part reflects on the frameworks of that relationship, and the third section tries to identify examples of tasks that need to be accomplished. All the texts have been contributed by members of the newly founded Berlin Institute for Public Theology, who agree on the necessity of a public theological effort, especially with regard to the question of democracy, but disagree on what this effort needs to consist in.