New Cold War? Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State

Summary: "This is an indispensable book in helping us understand the new world disorder that seems to be overtaking us. Juergensmeyer points out that much of the world neither understands nor finds attractive the idea of a 'secular state.' He helps us see that religious nationalism is a fact of life that will be with us for a long time to come. Deconstructing any simple notion of 'fundamentalism,' he shows us how it is possib...le to live with religious nationalism constructively without demonizing it. That is a major achievement."--Robert Bellah, co-author ofHabits of the Heart "This penetrating analysis of the relationship of religious movements to political developments demonstrates how new forms of nationalism, rooted in indigenous religious and cultural traditions, are challenging the western model of the secular state in the Middle East, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. Because there is, Juergensmeyer argues, no satisfactory compromise between the religious vision of the national state and that of liberal democracy, a new kind of cold war may develop, no less obstructive of a peaceful international order than the old. An important, and sobering, feature of Juergensmeyer's analysis is his constant awareness of the significance of 'the religious right' in the United States and other western democracies."--Ainslie T. Embree, Columbia University "This is an outstanding study of an increasingly important subject. I find Juergensmeyer's concept of religious nationalism more useful in explaining the new worldwide religious resurgence than most concepts currently in use. The book is gracefully written and should be read by anyone interested in world affairs."--Ehud Sprinzak, Hebrew University, Jerusalem [read more]