Promotional Information

An important contribution to the literature on religion and politics. Hibbard's argument is ambitious, the macro-comparison of Egypt, India, and the United States is novel and interesting, and he has clearly done a wealth of research. -- Steven A. Cook, author of Ruling but Not Governing: The Military and Political Development in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey The study of religious nationalism has gathered considerable momentum in the last twenty years. But no one has shown so comprehensively as Scott Hibbard the impact of the political manipulation of religion on shaping national ideals. His examination of the contemporaneous policies of the Indian, Egyptian, and American governments is as revealing as it is original. -- David Little, Harvard Divinity School

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: Rethinking the Secular State
1. Reinterpreting Modern Religious Politics
2. The Rise and Decline of Egyptian Secularism
3. The Islamization of Egyptian Politics
4. The Rise and Decline of Indian Secularism
5. Embedding Communalism in Indian Politics
6. The Rise and Decline of American Secularism
7. Religious Nationalism in the Reagan-Bush Era
Conclusion: Religious Politics Reconsidered
Notes
Index

About the Author

Scott W. Hibbard is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at DePaul University. He is the coauthor of Islamic Activism and U.S. Foreign Policy.

Reviews

Students of contemporary religion and contemporary politics should consider Hibbard's argument very seriously. -- Jack David Eller Anthropology Review Database With its accessible language and rich examples, this book would be of interest to a wide audience that includes general readers as well as scholars of religion and politics. Choice His analysis, carried through across three different religions, is impressive. -- Jonathan Benthall Times Literary Supplement This is a fascinating work, well worth a careful read by Middle East specialists. -- Paul Sedra Review of Middle East Studies