Religion in the Context of Globalization

Peter Beyer is Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

• Introduction Part 1: Observing Religion in the Contemporary Global Context 1. Purity as Hybridization: Religio-Cultural Syncretisms in the Context of Globalization 2. Globalization and Glocalization 3. Conceptions of Religion: On Distinguishing Scientific, Theological, and ‘Official’ Meanings Part 2: The Formation of Religion and Religions in Global Society 4. Social Forms of Religion and Religions in Contemporary Global Society 5. What Counts as Religion in Global Society? From Practice to Theory 6. The City and Beyond as Dialogue: Negotiating Religious Authenticity in Global Society 7. Can the Tail Wag the Dog? Diaspora Reconstructions of Religion in a Globalized Society Part 3: Religion and the Political Domain 8. Defining Religion in Cross-National Perspective: Identity and Difference in Official Conceptions 9. Constitutional Privilege and Constituting Pluralism: Religious Freedom in National, Global, and Legal Context 10. Religion out of place? The Globalization of Fundamentalism

Despite its global significance to both politics and culture, religion has not always been on the research agenda of academics studying globalization. However, over the last two decades, Peter Beyer has made a remarkably consistent contribution to the analysis of global religions and religion in globalization. This timely collection pulls together his principal publications, re-affirming his intellectual importance to the field. The result is an impressive assembly of ideas and insights that offers an essential overview of what is at stake.Bryan S. Turner, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, USA.Written in crystal-clear language, these ten exciting essays by Peter Beyer invite the reader to an insider's tour of his theoretical observatory. As a result, one gets a new sense of what counts as ‘religion’ in the context of globalization.Michael Stausberg, Professor of Religion, University of Bergen, Norway.