Religion and Society Research Centre

Selected Books  2012 2011 2010 2009 

2012

Hutchinson, Mark and John Wolffe, A Short History of Global Evangelicalism, Cambridge University Press 2012.

This book offers an authoritative overview of the history of evangelicalism as a global movement, from its origins in Europe and North America in the first half of the eighteenth century to its present-day dynamic growth in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania. Starting with a definition of the movement within the context of the history of Protestantism, it follows the history of evangelicalism from its early North Atlantic revivals to the great expansion in the Victorian era, through to its fracturing and reorientation in response to the stresses of modernity and total war in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It describes the movement's indigenization and expansion toward becoming a multicentered and diverse movement at home in the non-Western world that nevertheless retains continuity with its historic roots. The book concludes with an analysis of contemporary worldwide evangelicalism's current trajectory and the movement's adaptability to changing historical and geographical circumstances.

Ali, Jan A., Islamic Revivalism Encounters the Modern World, Sterling Publishers 2012.

This book contends that contemporary Islamic revivalism is a defensive reaction to the crises of modernity (unemployment, under-employment, poverty, inequality, injustice, discrimination, etc.), but that it is neither anti-modernity nor does it seek modernity's destruction. It posits that Muslims are in crisis due to the threat of losing their faith and identity in modernity because, according to the revivalist Muslims, the 'true' Islamic practice no longer constitutes the foundation of everyday Muslim living. To preclude this from reaching a point of no return, Islamic revivalist movements like the Tablīgh Jamā'at are engaged in encouraging Muslims to return to the 'true' teachings of Islam.  This volume highlights the veritable 'sectarian' intensity with which Tablīghīs undertake this restorative work.

Possamia, Adam (ed), Handbook of Hyper-real Religions, Brill 2012.

Today a new trend is clearly discernable, that of ‘hyper-real religions’. These are innovative religions and spiritualities that mix elements of religious traditions with popular culture. If we imagine a spectrum of intensity of the merging of popular culture with religion, we might find, at one end, groups practicing Jediism appropriated from the Star Wars movies, Matrixism from the Matrix trilogy, and neo-pagan rites based on stories from The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series. At the other end of the spectrum, members of mainstream religions, such as Christianity, can be influenced or inspired by, for example, The Da Vinci Code. Through various case studies, this book studies the on- and off-line religious/spiritual consumption of these narratives through a social scientific approach.

Elliot, Anthony and Bryan S. Turner, On Society, Polity 2012.

‘Society' is one of the most frequently used words in public life; it is also a foundational term in the social sciences. In our own time, however, the idea has never been so much in dispute and so little understood. In this erudite and original book, two of the world's leading social theorists focus on unravelling the different meanings of society as a way of introducing the reader to contemporary debates in social theory. The authors argue provocatively that all ideas of society can be assigned to one of three analytical categories, or some combination of these - structure, solidarity or creation - and develop a fresh characterisation of the nature of the social as a means of understanding global transformations.

2011 

Rocha, Cristina and Michelle Barker (eds), Buddhism in Australia, Routledge 2011

The number of Buddhists in Australia has grown dramatically in recent years. In 2006, Buddhists accounted for 2.1 per cent of Australia's population, almost doubling the 1996 figures, and making it the fastest growing religion in the country. This book analyses the arrival and localisation of Buddhism in Australia in the context of the globalisation of Buddhism.The inception of Buddhism in Australia is investigated, and a voice is provided to people on the ground who have been fundamental in making this process possible. For the first time, academic analysis and practitioners' experience are juxtaposed to show the adaptations and challenges of Buddhism in Australia from above and below. This book is a unique and valuable contribution to the study of Buddhism in the West, globalization of religion, and studies in Asian Religion.

Barbalet, Jack, Adam Possamai and Bryan S. Turner (eds), Religion  and the State, Anthem Press 2011

This volume addresses a central problem of contemporary states, namely how to manage the eruption of public religions. While the liberal framework formerly regarded religion as simply a matter of private practice and conscience, in modern states religion has often come to challenge the so-called Westphalian model of church-state relations, and has brought into question many liberal notions of secularism and tolerance. There is much discussion about post-secular society in which religion has to be taken seriously in public affairs. This collection of case studies – looking at Turkey, Singapore, India, China, Britain, Europe and the United States – explores a number of examples in which the state exercises some degree of management of religion, thereby bringing into question the traditional separation of religion and state.