Religion in the Age of Re-Globalization

This book provides a concise introduction into twenty-one trends that aretransforming the role of religion and spirituality in "re-globalizing" societies. Inreferring to processes of "re-globalization", the book draws attention to profoundongoing changes in the patterns and mechanisms of contemporary globalization.Inter- and transdisciplinary in its approach, clearly structured, and easy to read,the book analyzes the impact of religious self-understanding, rhetoric, andpractice on five core fields: economics, politics, culture, demography, andtechnology. In turn, it describes the effects of these five fields on religion andspirituality themselves. This book represents a broad, encompassing overview of the main transformationsthat religion is undergoing today. Roland Benedikter combines a "big picture"approach with a keen attention to the details of specific case studies. With itsclear and accessible structure and timely examples, this book is ideally suited forstudents of international relations and religious studies, and will also appeal toresearchers engaged in those fields and to interested general readers. The bookis also apt to serve as an encompassing basis for contemporary debates in civilsociety, including both grassroots and expert discussions.