Religion, state, and society

the long version

This book examines the relationship between religion and the state in a comparative perspective with special attention paid to the Western and Middle-Eastern experiences. It examines the resurgence of fundamentalism not only in developing nations but also in economically affluent post-modern societies. It seeks to elucidate whether the fusion between religion and politics is compatible with tolerance and individual freedom; or whether the Jeffersonian "wall of separation" is necessary to insure the flowering of democracy.