Religion and Authoritarianism: Cooperation, Conflict, and the Consequences (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781107684072)

This book provides a rare window into the micropolitics of contemporary authoritarian rule through a comparison of religious-state relations in Russia and China - two countries with long histories of religious repression, and even longer experiences with authoritarian politics. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in multiple sites in these countries, this book explores what religious and political authority want from one another, how they negotiate the terms of their relationship, and how cooperative or conflicting their interactions are. This comparison reveals that while tensions exist between the two sides, there is also ample room for mutually beneficial interaction. Religious communities and their authoritarian overseers are cooperating around the core issue of politics - namely, the struggle for money, power, and prestige - and becoming unexpected allies in the process.

Author: Karrie J. Koesel
ISBN-10: 1107684072
ISBN-13: 9781107684072
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 02/24/2014
Pages: 237
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.60d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2015 pg. 886