Religious strife and theocratic inclinations—at present widespread and threatening to become yet more so—are obviously harmful to human beings, but also to life on earth generally. This book examines the complex interrelationships between religion, politics and war from a variety of perspectives in an attempt not only to enable the reader to gain an understanding of these interrelationships, but also to contribute to a critically important discussion concerning problems which they generate. The chapters examine topics such as arguments for and against the separation of church and state, whether or to what extent religion can be said to be the cause of war, the nature of (especially religious) tolerance, the ethics of evangelism, the nature and adequacy of the American response to the events of September 11, 2001 and possible ways to address the problems of, and arising from, religious strife and theocratic inclinations.
The selection of readings is sufficiently diverse and accessible to afford interested students or non-specialists a grasp of the big picture with respect to the issues involved. Specialists in disciplines such as history, philosophy, political science or theology will find many stimuli for reflection and discussion. The book is notable for its combination of both western and Asian analyses and responses to the issues. This mixture of approaches constitutes an attempt on the part of the editors to represent in microcosm a discussion that, for reasons noted above, cannot take place too quickly or too widely.
