The Future of Religious Freedom: Global Challenges.

• Author: Dikici, Erdem
• Position: Book review

The Future of Religious Freedom: Global Challenges

By Allen D. Hertzke

New York: Oxford University Press, 364 pages, ISBN 9780199930913.

RECENTLY, there has been a growing body of literature on the multifaceted relationship between religion, politics and security in both national and global contexts, with a special emphasis on church-state relations and/or secularism. Various aspects and influences of religion on a variety of thematic issues occupy columns, journals and books. However, one might argue that the same does not apply for the study of religious freedom. The violation of religious freedom is a phenomenon that has been observed not only under authoritarian regimes or Third World countries, but also in democratic and so-called civilized nations. Authoritarian regimes, restrictive state policies, intolerant and hostile societies as well as security-oriented (inter) national political legitimations have tried to control, restrict or suppress the rights of religious groups and minorities and religion per se in the public sphere. In The Future of Religious Freedom, the different reasons for controlling religion through restrictive laws and policies are elaborated from a variety of perspectives.

In 2009, the John Temple Foundation assembled an international symposium in Istanbul on religious freedom. Scholars of law, sociology, politics and international relation from around the world discussed religious liberty. The Future of Religious Freedom consists of 15 articles that were presented at this symposium, where a broad spectrum of issues were covered, including the status of religious liberties under different nations' constitutions, laws, regulations and governmental policies, as well as public opinion and social pressures. The collection unpacks the status of religious freedom through discussing several case studies, such as the U.S., China, Indonesia, Western Europe, Russia and Turkey.

In the first part of the collection, the status of religious freedom is examined on both the theoretical and empirical level. The contribution of Durham et al. explores the fact that the importance of religious freedom is increasly recognized in international declarations and treaties like the UDHR. Although the articulation of this right in international law is "recognized and affirmed in the overwhelming majority of the world's constitutions" (p. 35), many states' attitudes towards religion fails to fulfill these promises. Howard, on the other hand...