‘Insightful and wide-ranging […] The present volume is particularly noteworthy for both breadth and depth. It does not only provide data from Europe, the US, the formerly Communist parts of Europe, China, India, Singapore, Israel, Turkey, Australia, and so on. It uses these data to think more deeply about how religions and states interact in the late modern world. […] In short, this volume is rich and worth attention.’ —James V. Spickard, ‘Journal of Contemporary Religion’

‘Insightful and wide-ranging […] The present volume is particularly noteworthy for both breadth and depth. It does not only provide data from Europe, the US, the formerly Communist parts of Europe, China, India, Singapore, Israel, Turkey, Australia, and so on. It uses these data to think more deeply about how religions and states interact in the late modern world. […] In short, this volume is rich and worth attention.’ —James V. Spickard, ‘Journal of Contemporary Religion’

‘Edited by three sociologists and comprised of essays from a distinguished group of social scientists, ‘Religion and the State’ considers the uniquely modern frictions between politics, economics, and traditional faiths. Far from a simplistic exploration of secularisation […] The tensions of religious liberty and religious conviction are familiar, yet the authors of this volume consistently urge us to stop seeing the secular and the religious as distinct realms. […] A giant step toward greater sophistication is found through evidence provided here.’ —Gerardo Marti, ‘LSE Review of Books’ blog

‘This volume offers a mosaic of case studies that challenge classical visions of religion and call for new methodology and concepts that will allow a better grasp of the role of religion(s) in contemporary societies and its interactions with the state. Though most of the authors are sociologists, the problems discussed in this volume address a wider audience, including scholars, specialists and graduates who study religion from the perspectives of law, politics, history and culture.’ —Daniela Kalkandjieva, ‘Politics, Religion & Ideology’

‘[A]n extraordinary voyage into Anglo-European social theory and research.’ —Arthur W. Frank, ‘Canadian Journal of Sociology’

‘Religion has emerged as a key variable in understanding modern societies, and all modern nations, no matter their formal definitions of church-state relations, must engage in the management of religions and religious groups in order to maintain peace between rival religious factions as well as societal harmony. This volume by eminent scholars in the field offers great insight into how public religions are functioning in a variety of modern states, the perils and benefits garnered as governmental authorities attempt to manage this crucial area of public life, and the need to redefine the meaning of secularization in the modern world.’ —Dr James T. Richardson, University of Nevada, Reno

‘There is something here for everyone who wants to be au courant with the ways in which religion and the capitalist economy co-create each other, with citizens and believers both increasingly conceived as consumers. A valuable contribution to the contemporary debate on secularism and secularization.’ —John Torpey, City University of New York Graduate Center