An examination of the Spanish Church in transition over recent decades, as it responded to far-reaching societal change. Having disengaged from Francoism, it embraced democracy but found itself somewhat at odds with various aspects of the modernisation of Spain, the ongoing process of secularisation and the 'supermarket' approach to doctrine of its own membership. In its goal of maintaining influence, its long-established strategy of alliances with secular - political and socio-economic - power groups became pointless in a society not so much hostile as indifferent to institutionalised religion. The challenges facing the Spanish Church are placed in the context of Vatican and grassroots Church developments as well as within the sweep of Spanish history.

An examination of the Spanish Church in transition over a 34-year period, as it responded to far-reaching societal change. Having disengaged from Francoism, it embraced democracy but found itself somewhat at odds with various aspects of the modernization of Spain, the ongoing process of secularization and the supermarket approach to doctrine of its own membership. In its goal of maintaining influence, its long-established strategy of alliances with secular-political and socio-economic power groups became pointless in a society not so much hostile as indifferent to institutionalized religion. The challenges facing the Spanish Church are placed in the context of Vatican and grassroots Church developments as well as within the sweep of Spanish history.

Ian Macpherson and Angus MacKay have collaborated on many occasions, and the sixteen articles brought together in this volume provide insights into the complex relationships between real life and imaginative writing in this turbulent period of Spanish history.

Nuanced understanding of the reciprocal nature of Spanish-Italian relations and the rich cultural production that was the product of the far-reaching exchanges between the two peninsulas throughout the early modern period guides the nineteen essays in this volume. The key political reality of sixteenth and seventeenth-century Spanish imperial domination in Italy—formal (Sicily, Sardinia, Naples, Milan), informal (Rome, Genoa, Tuscany), and more neutral or independent (Venice)—introduces the investigation in this volume into the methods and mechanisms of control and collaboration, cooperation and cooptation, assimilation and resistance. The connections between topics and problems in social, administrative, economic, and cultural history follow from political theory and practice. Politics, society, economy, and religion help us see both Spain and Italy more clearly.

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this convenient resource provides systematic information on how Spain deals with the role religion plays or can play in society, the legal status of religious communities and institutions, and the legal interaction among religion, culture, education, and media. After a general introduction describing the social and historical background, the book goes on to explain the legal framework in which religion is approached. Coverage proceeds from the principle of religious freedom through the rights and contractual obligations of religious communities; international, transnational, and regional law effects; and the legal parameters affecting the influence of religion in politics and public life. Also covered are legal positions on religion in such specific fields as church financing, labour and employment, and matrimonial and family law. A clear and comprehensive overview of relevant legislation and legal doctrine make the book an invaluable reference source and very useful guide. Succinct and practical, this book will prove to be of great value to practitioners in the myriad instances where a law-related religious interest arises in Spain. Academics and researchers will appreciate its value as a thorough but concise treatment of the legal aspects of diversity and multiculturalism in which religion plays such an important part.

Religion and politics have historically clashed in modern Spain but the complexity of the controversial and sometimes violent relationships between Catholic values and modern political regimes continue to ride a precarious line of spiritual accommodation versus public policy. Leading experts on religious Spanish tradition and recent historiographic findings set out to define and interrogate grey areas in the last two centuries beyond the reductive conventional notion of an ever-warring "Two Spains." The Soul of the Nation unravels the role of religion in the country's public life following the imperial crisis of 1808 when the Catholic Monarchy put the role of the Church at heart of political and cultural debates.

This book examines religion and politics in diverse countries or regions.

With respect to the countries of the world, this work addresses two basic questions: "How does religion affect politics in this country?" and "How does politics affect religion in this country?" Although there are many books on the topics of religion and politics, reference works that consider the two together are few, with those that do exist primarily addressing theory rather than trends. The present work does the latter, contextualizing them within regional and national boundaries. In so doing, it recognizes the power of political and religious ideas and movements on individuals, communities, and nations, making the work a valuable resource for several disciplines, among them political science, international relations, religion, and sociology. The work focuses on the interplay of religion and politics in countries around the world with an emphasis on the post-2000s. It is organized by global geographic regions including Africa, Central and South America, and the Middle East and presents countries alphabetically within those sections. Each region has a brief overview of the political-religious dynamics of the area so readers can compare and contrast the dynamics between and among countries in a region. The work also includes an introduction, sidebars, and a bibliography.

This title was first published in 2003. This subject area of this work cross-cuts conventional sub-disciplinary boundaries in the study of comparative politics. Connections between religion and and politics can be identified in all of the thematic areas covered by the articles within.