Title Religious politics and secular states : Egypt, India and the United States / Scott W. Hibbard

Published Baltimore, Md. : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010

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Description 1 online resource (xvi, 306 pages) Contents Reinterpreting modern religious politics -- The rise and decline of Egyptian secularism -- The rise and decline of Egyptian politics -- The rise and decline of Indian secularism -- Embedding communalism in Indian politics -- The rise and decline of American secularism -- Religious nationalism in the Reagan-Bush era Summary This Comparative analysis probes why conservative renderings of religious tradition in the United States, India, and Egypt remain so influential in the politics of these three ostensibly secular societies The United States, Egypt, and India were quintssential models of secular modernity in the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1980s and 1990s, conservative Islamists challenged the Egyptian government, India witnessed a surge in Hindu nationalism, and the Christian right in the United States rose to dominate the Republican Party and large swaths of the public discourse. Using a nuanced theoretical framework that emphasizes the interaction of religion and politics, scott W. Hibbard argues that three interrelated issues led to this state of affairs First, as an esential part of the construction of collective identities, religion serves as a basis for social solidarity and political mobilization. Second, in providing a moral framework, religion's traditional elements make it relevant to modern political life. Third, and most significant, in manipulating religion for political gain, political elites undermined the secular consensus of the modern state that had been in place since the end of World War II. Together, these factors sparked a new era of right-wing religious populism in the three nations Although much has been written about the resurgence of religious politics, scholars have paid less attention to the role of state actors in promoting new visions of religion and society. Religious Politics and Secular States fills this gap by situating this trend within long-standing debates over the proper role of religion in public life. --Book Jacket Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes English Print version record Subject Conservatism -- United States Conservatism -- India Conservatism -- Egypt Religion and politics -- United States Religion and politics -- India Religion and politics -- Egypt Conservatism Politics and government Religion and politics SUBJECT United States -- Politics and government. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85140410 India -- Politics and government. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85064936 Egypt -- Politics and government. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85041317 Subject Egypt India United States Form Electronic book LC no. 2009052694 ISBN 9780801899201 0801899206

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