The Varieties of Religious Repression: Why Governments Restrict Religion

by Ani Sarkissian

Overview

Religious repression--the non-violent suppression of civil and political rights--is a growing and global phenomenon. Though most often practiced in authoritarian countries, levels of religious repression nevertheless vary across a range of non-democratic regimes, including illiberal democracies and competitive authoritarian states. In The Varieties of Religious Repression, Ani Sarkissian argues that seemingly benign regulations and restrictions on religion are tools that non-democratic leaders use to repress independent civic activity, effectively maintaining their hold on power. Sarkissian examines the interaction of political competition and the structure of religious divisions in society, presenting a theory of why religious repression varies across non-democratic regimes. She also offers a new way of understanding the commonalties and differences of non-democratic regimes by focusing on the targets of religious repression. Drawing on quantitative data from more than one hundred authoritarian states, as well as case studies of sixteen countries from around the world, Sarkissian explores the varieties of repression that states impose on religious expression, association, and political activities, describing the obstacles these actions present for democratization, pluralism, and the development of an independent civil society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199348107
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/02/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Ani Sarkissian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. In 2006, she received her PhD in comparative politics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research addresses the effects of religious regulations, organizations, attitudes, and practices on political development.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Introduction: Religion, Rights, and Repression Chapter 2. Varieties of Religious Repression Chapter 3. Regulation as Control: State Repression of All Religious Groups Chapter 4. Repressing Most by Favoring One Chapter 5. The Power to Choose: Selective State Repression of Religious Groups Chapter 6. Paradoxical or Rational? Religious Freedom in Non-Democratic States Chapter 7. Conclusion: Why Religious Repression Matters Appendices Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"Using quantitative data and thick case descriptions, the book deepens our understanding of the state's behavior regarding religious groups. This work is to be commended for its rigorous conceptual development regarding the different strategies the state uses to repress religion, the depth and breadth of case studies, and grand theorizing in comparative politics."—Journal of Church and State

"Sarkissian makes a significant contribution to the study of religion and politics and democratization. Its strong theoretical foundation and nuanced argument makes the book relevant for graduate courses, while Sarkissian's excellent prose and brilliant organization makes it accessible to the policy community and undergraduate students."—Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

"An impressive and useful piece of work-dense, highly wrought, and thought-provoking."—Journal of the American Academy of Religion

"An important contribution to our understanding of how politics, religion, and culture intersect in varying structures of modern nondemocratic regimes." —Sociology of Religion

"Ani Sarkissian steers the scholarly discussion of religion and global politics toward what has been terra nullius — authoritarian regimes. She charts out this terrain masterfully by identifying the wide variety of forms that religious repression can take and by supporting some bold empirical claims about when such repression will be most severe and how wide it is likely to extend. What she leaves us with is a map that, unlike most, depicts both broad contours and a wealth of interesting detail — in short, the go-to guide for exploring religion under repression."
—Daniel Philpott, Professor of Political Science and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

"The study of religion and politics has typically focused on interactions between church and state in a variety of democratic nations. Ani Sarkissian moves our understanding to a whole new dimension in her wide-ranging, but remarkably nuanced, study of religious repression in autocratic regimes. This book represents a theoretical and empirical tour de force that will not only be of interest to those studying religion, but scholars who are interested in the political dynamics of authoritarian regimes."
—Anthony Gill, author of The Political Origins of Religious Liberty

"Ani Sarkissian draws on data from 101 countries to brilliantly tackle a vital question: How do politicians in non-democratic states use religious repression as an instrument of their rule — and why? This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the relationship between religious pluralism, democracy, and freedom of religious practice and expression."
—Donald E. Miller, Executive Director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California

"Sarkissian's approach from the angle of state religious repression is an important contribution to our understanding of how politics, religion, and culture intersect in varying structures of modern nondemocratic regimes."—Sarah Kaiser, University at Buffalo

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