Author : Karrie J. Koesel
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1139867792
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (398 download)
Book Synopsis Religion and Authoritarianism by : Karrie J. Koesel
Download or read book Religion and Authoritarianism written by Karrie J. Koesel and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-02-24 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.