In a sweeping reconsideration of the relation between religion and modernity, Jose Casanova surveys the roles that religions may play in the public sphere of modern societies. During the 1980s, religious traditions around the world, from Islamic fundamentalism to Catholic liberation theology, began making their way, often forcefully, out of the private sphere and into public life, causing the "deprivatization" of religion in contemporary life. No longer content merely to administer pastoral care to individual souls, religious institutions are challenging dominant political and social forces, raising questions about the claims of entities such as nations and markets to be "value neutral", and straining the traditional connections of private and public morality. Casanova looks at five cases from two religious traditions (Catholicism and Protestantism) in four countries (Spain, Poland, Brazil, and the United States). These cases challenge postwar—and indeed post-Enlightenment—assumptions about the role of modernity and secularization in religious movements throughout the world. This book expands our understanding of the increasingly significant role religion plays in the ongoing construction of the modern world.

This comprehensive guide offers an unrivalled introduction to recent work in the study of religion, from the religious traditions of Asia and the West, to new forms of religion and spirituality such as New Age. With an historical introduction to each religion and detailed analysis of its place in the modern world, Religions in the Modern World is ideal for newcomers to the study of religion. It incorporates case-studies and anecdotes, text extracts, chapter menus and end-of-chapter summaries, glossaries and annotated further reading sections. Topics covered include: * religion, colonialism and postcolonialism * religious nationalism * women and religion * religion and globalization * religion and authority * the rise of new spiritualities.

Compares and contrasts the tenets of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, explaining their history, establishment, leaders, struggles, and their forms and guises in the modern world.

Concise volume introduces eleven -living- religions of the world -- Hinduism, Shintoism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism -- in simple terms and without bias.

Here is the answer to the desire of many thoughtful laymen for an intelligent appraisal of the great contemporary faiths. This is not a reference book, but a group of essays for the general reader on the idea, the spiritual core, of the chief religions of the modern day. Each essay is written simply and objectively by an eminent scholar, with the authority that is the fruit of a lifetime study of his subject. Fidelity to the classical tenets of each religion and a desire to permit each to speak for itself are salient features of the work of these men. They collaborated on the fundamental outline of the book, with the result that it is well integrated-not a random collection of articles. Recent events in China, Palestine, India, Indonesia, Japan and many other parts of the globe lend a special interest to the subject at this time, but this is not a book on current events. It takes a larger view, and is a study of religion in its widest connotations, as a potent force in history and as a meaningful influence in the world today. Originally published in 1946. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This work seeks to answer questions about the great religious traditions in the contemporary age. It focuses upon those religions that continue to demand the attention of the Western world. Following an introduction on the philosophy of religion, attention is focused on Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam which are religions that have had (and probably continue to have) the greatest number of followers in Western society. In addition to the lasting impact that religion has had in society, we are witnesses to the development of secularism on the one hand and the revival of religious sentiment on the other, thus chapters on modernity, postmodernism, and 'fundamentalism' have also been included. The distinctive feature of the book is its modern feel. Each chapter brings the reader up-to-date with recent developments and commentaries upon recent religious thought, theology and religious-political movements. Moreover, the length of the chapters permits a detailed analysis which is so often lacking in books on world religions.