In recent years; North American and European nations have sought to legally remake religion in other countries through an unprecedented array of international initiatives. Policymakers have rallied around the notion that the fostering of religious freedom; interfaith dialogue; religious tolerance; and protections for religious minorities are the keys to combating persecution and discrimination. Beyond Religious Freedom persuasively argues that these initiatives create the very social tensions and divisions they are meant to overcome.Elizabeth Shakman Hurd looks at three critical channels of state-sponsored intervention: international religious freedom advocacy; development assistance and nation building; and international law. She shows how these initiatives make religious difference a matter of law; resulting in a divide that favors forms of religion authorized by those in power and excludes other ways of being and belonging. In exploring the dizzying power dynamics and blurred boundaries that characterize relations between "expert religion;" "governed religion;" and "lived religion;" Hurd charts new territory in the study of religion in global politics.A forceful and timely critique of the politics of promoting religious freedom; Beyond Religious Freedom provides new insights into today's most pressing dilemmas of power; difference; and governance.
#749826 in Books 2014-03-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.75 x 6.50 x 1.25l; .0 #File Name: 0691160740448 pages
Review
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating; fun and highly informativeBy arlene alpertProf Petrovsky-Shtern's latest book is a must read for any student of Jewish history...It is meticulously and sometimes even cleverly researched; such as when the author had to disguise himself to unearth archives and documents.. Readers will enjoy the many anecdotes about everyday life in the shtetl. These clearly illustrate the author's thesis about shtetl life not being a dreary one of poverty; depression and fear of persecution..Indeed; shtetl life is brought so alive that one can almost feel (s)he is a neighbor of the persons quoted on the pages....Prof Petrovsky Shtern puts forth powerful arguments which validate the theses in his preface..One comes away full of admiration for the shtetl dwellers who are depicted as having both creativity and the resourcefulness needed to meet the many hardships and challenges of daily life.. Readers will come away enriched in their understanding and appreciation of shtetl dwellers and the socioeconomic and political context in which they lived. I was sorry when the book ended as I was so immersed while reading it..My reading on this topic will continue thanks to the superb footnotes and bibliography provided. I recommend this delightful book to both the casual reader as well as to those with more scholarly credentials. It deserves a place on your bookshelf and makes an excellent gift as well. Arlene Alpert10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. A New Take on an Old TopicBy LesliePetrovsky-Shtern’s The Golden Age Shtetl; opens a treasure-trove of primary resources that only this multi-lingual and gifted history professor could translate with such rich context. He's provided so much new information to those of us interested in Eastern European Jewry. I'm grateful for this book and learned a great deal. He's also a wonderful artist and designed the cover.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. So grateful for this bookBy Ers ConsultingI have only just begun to read this book but I am incredibly grateful for it. As an Ashkenazi Jew from a family that didn't keep records (my grandmother didn't even know her birthday) I had resigned myself to recreating my history almost from scratch. I had always envied these people who could trace their ancestry to William the Conqueror; etc. While Jewish genealogy has become popular; it would not help me know my history. But then; Mr. Petrovsky-Stern came along. Yes; this book will be somewhat academic and slow reading but at least it will be thorough and authentic. What really hooked me was when the author wrote the following: "For this author; this story also began with a hunt for primary sources. That hunt brought me to the strongholds of previously classified archives; where a WEALTH OF DOCUMENTS (caps mine) from the shtetls has lain dormant for more than two hundred years. To gain access to these documents; I sometimes disguised myself as a Ukrainian clerk; a Soviet speleologist; and a Polar explorer. This unorthodox approach yielded several thousand archival sources in seven languages; from six countries; and dozens of depositories; that reveal the shtetl in its years of glory."Years of glory - now doesn't that have a nice ring to it? Something to really be proud of - we are not just downtrodden victims.This book reminds me of another book I treasure - "Outwitting History - the Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books." Also a book by an author; who; like Mr. Petrovsky-Stern; played Indiana Jones to save what could be saved of our culture and heritage.I can't wait to delve more deeply into this book and I will savor every word.
