A Sociology of Religious Freedom

Freedom of and from religion is a key concept to understand the place of religious and spiritual identities, beliefs, and practices in the contemporary world. Sociology can assist in explaining why and how religious freedom holds a variety of meanings in society and may be perceived differently by individuals, social groups, and institutions. This book addresses three major questions of a sociology of religious freedom. First, how to define religious freedom as a multidimensional concept considering its complex and controversial nature. Second, what are the recurrent sociological conditions and relevant social perceptions that will foster an understanding of religious freedom in varying political, legal, and socioreligious contexts. Third, what are the mechanisms of social implementation of religious freedom that contribute to making it a fundamental value of human rights culture in a society. The book suggests that a sociological definition of religious freedom requires taking into ac...