Religion and Globalization

Because space and identities are reformulated by religions as they break through geographic and cultural boundaries, religion is now widely recognized as ‘the great globalizer’. In particular, as they become transnational, religions adapt to new social contexts and interact with other cultures, transforming themselves and their cultural environment. Furthermore, religions and their adherents are extremely responsive to globalization, whether they perceive it as threatening their particular identity or as an opportunity to provide a universal message to the world and become a ‘global religion’. This new four-volume collection from Routledge brings together all the key texts on globalization and religion in one easy-to-use ‘mini library’. Each of the volumes articulates theoretical and empirical perspectives: while theories attempt to grasp the nature of the relations between globalization and religion, a diversity of case studies shed light on the importance of religion in the making of contemporary global situations.

The first volume brings together the best scholarship on religion and space in its global context. Volume II entitled 'Westernization of Religion and its Counter-Trends' looks at the debates surrounding the westernization of religion including the transnational diffusion and local expressions of Christianity and counter-trends to the westernization of religion. Volume III features articles concerning the theories and case-studies on the religious responses to globalization. The final volume looks at the new challenges, epistemological and transnational faced by religion and politics in their global context.