Religion and politics in the Middle East
Subtitle: identity, ideology, institutions, and attitudes
By: Robert D. Lee.
Publisher: Westview Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Boulder, CO
Language: eng
Number of pages: 335
ISBN-13: 9780813344201
Subjects: Religion and politics -- Middle East; Islam and politics -- Middle East; Judaism and politics -- Middle East; Group identity -- Middle East; Political culture -- Middle East; Religion and state -- Middle East; Secularism -- Middle East; Middle East -- Politics and government
Description: "This innovative book analyzes the interaction of politics and religion in the Middle East through a comparative study of four countries -- Egypt, Israel, Turkey, and Iran. Author Robert D. Lee examines each country in terms of four areas in which state and religion necessarily interact: group identity, ideology, institutions, and political culture. He also considers twenty-five commonly encountered (but often contradictory) hypotheses asserting that religion is either an obstacle or an aid to political development, or that religion is largely irrelevant to the development process. The author concludes that politics shapes religion as much or more than religion shapes politics. The nature of religious organization and practice in the Middle East cannot be understood without reference to a national political context."--Back cover.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 307-320) and index.
Table of contents: title: The political determinants of religion; title: Religion as a causal force; title: The taming of Islam in Egypt; title: The transformation of Judaism in Israel; title: The politics of religion in "secularist" Turkey; title: State Shiism in Iran; title: Reconciling religion and politics.