RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Publisher: International Missionary Council, New York, London
Published: 1945
Description: Religious Liberty: An Inquiry (1945) is a significant book by M. Searle Bates, a missionary-professor, offering a comprehensive analysis of religious freedom's historical, legal, and philosophical aspects, examining its challenges globally and proposing frameworks for its protection, drawing from sources like law, history, and theology in a world just emerging from war. Bates categorized countries by their degree of religious freedom, highlighting issues in places like Soviet Russia, Muslim countries, and Spain, making it a key text on the subject. 
Key Aspects of the Book:
Author: M. Searle Bates (1897-1978), an American scholar with extensive experience in China, known for his deep understanding of religion and society.
Content: Explores religious liberty through natural rights, ethics, philosophy, theology (Protestant/Catholic), and law, discussing its role in education and its relation to progress.
Scope: A global perspective, cataloging conditions of religious freedom in various nations in 1945, from high freedom to significant discrimination.
Significance: A foundational work for understanding religious freedom, published by the International Missionary Council, offering thought-provoking analysis for its time. 
Why It Matters (Context of 1945):
Published as World War II ended, the inquiry addressed urgent questions about human rights and conscience in a fractured world, making it relevant for post-war reconstruction and international understanding. 
In essence, Religious Liberty: An Inquiry provides a robust, multifaceted examination of religious freedom, bridging theoretical concepts with real-world conditions, making it a landmark study of the topic.  - Google AI