Book Description

Religious or spiritual beliefs underpin many controversies and conflicts in the contemporary world. Written by a range of scholarly contributors, this three-volume set provides contextual background information and detailed explanations of religious controversies across the globe. Controversies in Contemporary Religion: Education, Law, Politics, Society, and Spirituality is a three-volume set that addresses a wide variety of current religious issues, analyzing religion's role in the rise of fundamentalism, censorship, human rights, environmentalism and sustainability, sexuality, bioethics, and other questions of widespread interest. Providing in-depth context and analysis far beyond what's available in the news or online, this work will enable readers to understand the nature of and reasons for controversies in current headlines. The first volume covers theoretical and academic debates, the second looks at debates in the public square and ethical issues, while the third examines specific issues and case studies. These volumes bring detailed and careful debate of a range of controversies together in one place, including topics not often covered—for example, how religions promote or hinder social cohesion and peace, the relationship of religions to human rights, and the intersection of Buddhism and violence. Written by a range of experts that includes both established and emerging scholars, the text explains key debates in ways that are accessible and easy to understand for lay readers as well as undergraduate students researching particular issues or global religious trends.