Religion and Social Policy

Front Cover
Paula D. Nesbitt
Rowman Altamira, 2001 - History - 278 pages
What is the role of religion in creating the rules of society? What should religion's role be? Religion in industrialized countries often appears as a private, personal matter while issues of social justice are worked out in a secular public sphere. But increasingly both policymakers and religious leaders are becoming aware of the role religious values play at the local, national and international levels. Religion and Social Policy explores how religious concerns influence those who shape and those who are shaped by policies. It queries the social teachings of global denominations and local congregations, as well as the implicit religious stances taken by national governments and international NGOs. Broad issues such as religious tolerance, globalization, multiculturalism, gender roles and economic inequality are carefully grounded with practical examples. For students of religion, sociology, politics or public policy, Religion and Social Policy offers an excellent overview of how the sacred and the secular mix in both the theory and practice of creating a just society. Visit the editor's web page

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Contents

Globalization Social Policy and Christianity at the Dawn of a New Millennium Some Reflections from a Latin American Emigrant Perspective
3
Public Policy toward Minority Religions in the United States A Model for Europe and Other Countries?
15
The Tension between an Established Church and Equal Opportunities in Religion The Case of Prison Chaplaincy
39
American Indian Religious Identity and Advanced Colonial Malignancy
54
Tensions Religious Freedom and the Courts The Seventhday Adventist Experience
73
Religion and Domestic Social Policies
93
Immigrant Congregations as Social Service Providers Are They Safety Nets for Welfare Reform?
95
Islam Womens Organizations and Political Rights for Women
111
Regional Judicatories and Social Policy Advocacy
164
Putting It Together in the African American Churches Faith Economic Development and Civil Rights
181
The Civic Challenge of Virtual Eschatology Heavens Gate and Millennial Fever in Cyberspace
196
Religion Race and Community Organizing The Movimento Negro in the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil
210
Religious Syncretism and a Postimperial Source of Healing in Korea
226
The Future of Religious Pluralism and Social Policy Reflections from Lambeth and Beyond
244
Index
263
About the Contributors
275

Woman Abuse and Faith Communities Religion Violence and the Provision of Social Welfare
128
Work and Its Discontents Two Cases of Contemporary Religious Response to Unemployment
146

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