Religion and Human Security: A Global Perspective - Paperback

by James K. Wellman (Editor), Clark B. Lombardi (Editor)

Since the1950s the world has witnessed a period of extraordinary religious revival in which religious political parties and non-governmental organizations have gained power around the globe. At the same time, the international community has come to focus on the challenge of promoting global human security. This groundbreaking book explores how these trends are interacting. In theoretical essays and case studies from Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, the Americas, Africa and Europe, the contributors address such crucial questions as: Under what circumstances do religiously motivated actors advance or harm human welfare? Do certain state policies tend to promote security-enhancing behavior among religious groups? The book concludes by providing important suggestions to policymakers about how to factor the influence of religion into their evaluation of a population's human security and into programs designed to improve human security around the globe.

Author Biography

James K. Wellman, Jr. is Associate Professor and Chair of the Comparative Religion Program at the Jackson School of International Studies. He is the author of The Gold Church and the Ghetto: Christ and Culture in Mainline Protestantism and Evangelical vs. Liberal: The Clash of Christian Cultures and the editor of several books, including Belief and Bloodshed: Religion and Violence Across Time and Tradition.