Director, Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies, University of California-Santa Barbara

• Contributors ; 1. Thinking Globally about Religion ; Part I: Indic Cultural Region ; 2. Thinking Globally about Hinduism ; 3. Traditional Brahmanical Society ; 4. Popular Hindu Movements ; 5. The Sikh Community ; 6. The Jain Community ; 7. Hindu Communities Abroad ; Part II: Buddhist/Confucian Cultural Region ; 8. Thinking Globally about Buddhism ; 9. Theravada Buddhist Societies ; 10. Tibetan Buddhist Society ; 11. Vietnamese Religious Society ; 12. Traditional Chinese Religious Society ; 13. Popular Religion in Mainland China ; 14. Traditional Japanese Religious Society ; 15. Japanese New Religious Movements ; 16. Korean Religious Society ; 17. Buddhist Communities Abroad ; Part III: Jewish Cultural Region ; 18. Thinking Globally about Judaism ; 19. Jewish Communities in Israel ; 20. Jewish Communities in North Africa and the Middle East ; 21. Jewish Communities in Europe ; 22. Jewish Communities in the Americas ; 23. Jewish Communities in Asia ; Part IV: Christian Cultural Region ; 24. Thinking Globally about Christianity ; 25. Western European Catholic Societies ; 26. Eastern European Catholic Societies ; 27. European Protestant Societies ; 28. Orthodox Christian Societies ; 29. Religious Communities in Russia ; 30. The Coptic Community ; 31. Latin American Catholic Societies ; 32. North American Religious Communities ; 33. Evangelical Christian Community in North and South America ; Part V: Islamic Cultural Region ; 39. Thinking Globally about Islam ; 40. Arab Islamic Societies ; 41. North African Islamic Societies ; 42. Sub-Saharan African Islam ; 43. European Islam ; 44. Shi'a Islamic Societies ; 45. Islamic Communities in Central Asia ; 46. Islamic Communities in South Asia ; 47. Islamic Societies in Southeast Asia ; 48. Chinese Islamic Communities ; 49. American Islamic Communities ; 50. Religious Movements with Islamic Origins ; Part VI: African Cultural Region ; 51. Thinking Globally about African Religion ; 52. Traditional African Religious Societies ; 53. Afro-Caribbean Religious Societies ; Part VII: Local Religious Societies ; 54. Thinking Globally about Local Religious Societies ; 55. Native American Religious Societies ; 56. Australian Aboriginal Societies ; 57. Pacific Islands Religious Communities ; Part VIII: Understanding Global Religion ; 58. Religion in Global Perspective ; 59. Anti-Global Religion? ; 60. The Global Future of Religion ; Index

Juergensmeyer and his fellow essayists have produced a volume who purpose is to examine religious communities within a framework of global diversity. Contributors treat these areas with essays that concisely analyze the religions historically and socially: provide information about the organization, size, leaders, and political concerns of the various communities; show how religions provide cultural identity for adherents; and discuss attitudes towards modernity. This sourcebook will quickly become a standard reference work for students and general readers alike.