ABSTRACT

The connection between politics and religion is evident everywhere, for faith is often a question of government policy and even the cornerstone of the state. Nearly a quarter of the world’s states have formal links to a religion but what that means varies markedly. The establishment of an official religion can mean religious intolerance and persecution, but has also proven to be compatible with a secular state and religious tolerance. Religious freedom has increased since the end of the Cold War as the number of states intolerant of all religions has declined.