An Introduction to Religion and Politics: Theory and Practice (Routledge Studies in Religion and Politics)
For far too long, we have labored without a text that unifies social scientific treatments of religion and politics. Fox'sAn Introduction to Religion and Politicsis a theoretical tour de force, providing a broad and deep survey of the major theories of religious presence in politics, tested with his Religion and the State dataset and carefully chosen case studies throughout. It is highly relevant and readable and will serve as a critical reference tool.Paul A. Djupe, Denison University'Jonathan Fox has pulled off a difficult double achievement in this book. First, he has persuasively presented arguments that cover the many ways that religion and politics can connect, and the outcomes when they do. Second, he has set out the information in a way that will be appreciated by university students (and others) who have an interest in the topic. In short, this is an excellent book and Fox will find that many people appreciate the clarity and rigour with which he has presented the evidence.'Professor Jeffrey Haynes, Associate Dean and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion, Conflict and Cooperation, Faculty of Law, Governance and International Relations, London Metropolitan UniversityJonathan Fox, one of the discipline's foremost experts in the study of religion and politics, has crafted an eloquent yet accessible guide to the comparative study of religion and politics.  Fox provides a coherent framework that traces policies to their sources in identities, belief systems, concerns of legitimacy and institutions, complemented with contemporary illustrations, analyses of hot-button controversies and carefully selected evidence.  Students and scholars alike will find this volume informative, provocative and compelling."Ron E. Hassner, University of California Berkeley, author ofWar on Sacred Grounds"Jonathan Fox has a long track record of helping us make sense of the complex relationship between the religious and the political. InAn Introduction to Religion and Politics, he again shows why he is one of the leading scholars of the subject. Weaving together diverse theories into a coherent framework and distilling mounds of comparative data, Fox has written a brilliant textbook that is destined to be essential reading—for students and scholars alike."Ronald R. Krebs, University of Minnesota