Crossing the Gods examines the sometimes antagonistic and sometimes cozy but always difficult and dangerous relationship between religion and politics in countries around the globe. Eminent sociologist of religion Jay Demerath traveled to Brazil; China; Egypt; Guatemala; India; Indonesia; Israel; Japan; Northern Ireland; Pakistan; Poland; Sweden; Turkey; and Thailand to explore the history and current relationship of religion; politics; and the state in each country. In the first part of this wide-ranging book; he asks; What are the basic fault lines along which current tensions and conflicts have formed? What are the trajectories of change from past to present; and how do they help predict the future?In the book’s second part the author returns home to focus on the United States the only nation founded specifically on the principle of a separation between religion and state and examines the extent to which this principle actually holds and the consequences when it does not. Highlighting such issues as culture wars; violence; globalization; and the fluidity of individual religious identity; Demerath exposes the provincialism and fallacies underlying many of our views of religion and politics worldwide.Finally; Demerath examines America’s status as the world’s most religious nation. He places that claim within a comparative context and argues that our country is not “more religious†but “differently religious.†He argues that it represents a unique combination of congregational religion; religious pluralism; and civil religion. But the United States also illustrates the universal tendency for the sacred to give way to the secular and for the secular to generate new forms of the sacred.
#2664147 in Books Westview Press 1996-09-10Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .65 x 6.00l; .80 #File Name: 0813324467288 pages
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A gripping look at the immigration issues of the 80s and 90sBy G BRobert Kahn's book is a must-read for anyone with an opinion on US immigration policies. Kahn draws on his experiences as a legal-assistant for various immigration attorneys doing pro-bono work for undocumented workers captured by the INS and detained all over the US during the 80's to give the reader a very gritty and human grasp of the issues involved in US immigration policy. Kahn draws a direct correlation between US foreign policy in El Salvador (which trained the government death squads) and the subsequent waves of immigrants which came from El Salvador as a result of those policies. Then; drawing on his personal experience and documented interviews; Kahn details the civil and human rights abuses which many of these immigrants go through and are still going through at the hands of the INS. Kahn's book takes policy issues and campaign rhetoric concerning immigration and brings it down to earth with this book. By writing it in first-person the information and stories within "Other People's Blood" becomes very real and the reader is affected even more deeply. The book suffers only in it's lack of direction or focus. While the information and detailed interviews mostly stand alone; the book does not carry a climax or build up of tension which the first-person style might complement. Instead Kahn's book is a continuous detailed log of his encounters and interviews as a person volunteering his time for these immigrants who the US government and people would just as soon forget; alongside his personal analysis of how misinformed US policy and opinion have led to such ridiculous and horrifying results along our borders. It is very easy to read; despite the numerous footnotes and documentation. After reading it twice I passed it around to many of my friends; and they in turn passed it to their friends. It invariably evoked strong reactions among everyone I know who has read it; and I recommend it highly.
