ABSTRACT
Religions are found wherever and whenever people inhabit our world. While questions of conflict and violence certainly need to be addressed, this chapter offers a broader view of particular religions in a globalizing world. The chapter focuses on the social and public aspects of global politics and particular religions. It discusses some of the more substantive problems and issues that link global politics and particular religions. The chapter demonstrates the interconnectedness of the political and the religious realms. It covers some of the prominent empirical and normative questions that have arisen. The chapter also discusses some of the convergent aspects of religion and politics: common humanity; particular and universal; symbols and rituals; authority. It offers a framework for understanding religions in a globalizing world. The chapter presents a schematic framework for an integrated theory of global politics and particular religions, and suggests a basic stance for empirical and normative research in an era of public religion and global governance.
