Theorists of modernity had written off religion in the 1950s and 1960s and predicted that it would become unimportant as a marker of identity. However, the very reverse has happened and religion today plays an increasingly significant role in the cohesion and operation of identities on a global scale. Focused on the theme of the sociology of religion, this volume brings together essays by well-known scholars which examine the resurgence of religious identities in the Indian context. The contributors question many received notions, address critical problems, and raise important issues surrounding various current debates. The papers are divided into four sections. The first deals with religion, society and national identity. The next section is devoted to sects, cults, shrines and the making of traditions. The third section discusses religious conversion, while the last section provides a comparative perspective drawn from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. Among the many topics covered are: The original impulses that led to the declaration of India as a secular republic. The role of religion and ideology in economic growth. The negative role that religion can play in public life, particularly because of political manipulation. The way boundaries are created between different groups. The search for economic and political mobility and/or social dignity and respect through conversion. Tackling a subject of immense contemporary importance and demonstrating a sensitivity to the shifts and changes brought about in faith, identity and tradition, this volume will be of considerable interest to students of sociology, anthropology, religion, politics and history.
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