1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910787234703321

Autore

Laine James W.

Titolo

Meta-religion : religion and power in world history / / James W. Laine

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Oakland, California : , : University of California Press, , 2014

©2014

ISBN

0-520-28137-3

1-78539-274-3

0-520-95999-X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (746 p.)

Disciplina

201/.72

Soggetti

Religions - History

Religion and politics - History

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Preface -- Introduction -- 1. Alexander and Ashoka: Cosmopolitan Empires and Religious Policy from Egypt to India, 330-230 b.c. -- 2. Imperial Religion: China to Rome, 250 b.c.-250 a.d. -- 3. The Debate over Dharma: Hindus and Buddhists Compete for Ideological Dominance in South Asia -- 4. Confessional Religion and Empire before the Rise of Islam -- 5. The Rise of Islam and the Early Caliphate, 622-711 a.d. -- 6. Imperial Islam, 690-1500 a.d. -- 7. The Great Islamic Empires of the Early Modern Era (ca. 1500-1700) -- 8. Putting Religion in Its Place, I: Reformers, Kings, and Philosophers Challenge the Church -- 9. Putting Religion in Its Place, II: Revolution and Religious Freedom -- 10. The Contemporary Era: The Worldwide Regime of Meta-Religion -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Suggested Readings -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Whereas many textbooks treat the subject of world religions in an apolitical way, as if each religion were a path for individuals seeking wisdom and not a discourse intimately connected with the exercise of power, James W. Laine treats religion and politics as halves of the same whole, tracing their relationship from the policies of Alexander the Great to the ideologies of modern Europe secularists, with stops in classical India, China, and the Islamic world. Meta-Religion is a



groundbreaking text that brings power and politics to the fore of our understanding of world religions, placing religion at the center of world history. This synthetic approach is both transformative and enlightening as it presents a powerful model for thinking differently about what religion is and how it functions in the world. With images and maps to bring the narrative to life, Meta-Religion combines sophisticated scholarly critique with accessibility that students and scholar alike will appreciate.