Peter Beyer has been a central figure in the debate about religion and globalization for many years, this volume brings together some of his key essays which together focus on the form and role of religion in the context of globalization.
Each of the ten chapters explores a different but related aspect of how religion and globalization are historically, conceptually, and institutionally connected. Through the course of the book, Beyer provides both theoretical and historical analysis of how over time and across the globe, the idea of religion changes along with its institutional expressions; what religion is understood to be and what counts as religion change as the global social world changes. Featuring a newly written introduction and conclusion which frame the volume and offer the reader guidance on how the arguments fit together, the book is divided into three broad sections:
Part I: Observing Religion in the Contemporary Global Context
Part II: The Formation of Religion and Religions in Global Society
Part III: Religion and the Political Domain
Including some of the most important theoretical work in the field of religion and globalization, this collection provokes the reader to consider paths for future research in the area, and will be of great interest to students and scholars of religion and politics, globalization and religion and sociology.