Religion And Canadian Society

As the leading book in its field, Religion and Ethnicity in Canada has been embraced by scholars, teachers, students, and policy makers as a breakthrough study of Canadian religio-ethnic diversity and its impact on multiculturalism. A team of established scholars looks at the relationships between religious and ethnic identity in Canada's six largest minority religious communities: Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims and practitioners of Chinese religion. The chapters also highlight the ethnic diversity extant within these traditions in order to offer a more nuanced appreciation of the variety of lived experiences of members of these communities. Together, the contributors develop consistent themes throughout the volume, among them the changing nature of religious practice and ideas, current demographics, racism, and the role of women. Chapters related to the public policy issues of healthcare, education and multiculturalism show how new ethnic and religious diversity are challenging and changing Canadian institutions and society. Comprehensive and insightful, Religion and Ethnicity in Canada makes a unique contribution to the study of world religions in Canada.

Religion is usually thought of as inconsequential to contemporary Canadian politics. This book takes a hard look at just how much influence faith continues to have in federal, provincial, and territorial arenas. Drawing on case studies from across the country, it explores three important axes of religiously based contention – Protestant vs. Catholic, conservative vs. reformer, and, more recently, opponents vs. defenders of accommodating minority religious practices. Although the extent of partisan engagement with each of these sources of conflict has varied across time and region, the authors show that religion still matters in shaping political oppositions. These themes are illuminated by comparisons to the role faith plays in the politics of other Western industrialized societies.

Religion and Canadian Society: Traditions, Transitions, and Innovations offers an outstanding selection of readings that represents an overview of the key issues in the sociology of religion from a uniquely Canadian perspective. Masterfully planned and united by themes that are clearly articulated in the part openers, this reader moves through three thematic cornerstones: traditions, transitions and innovations. Recurring sub-themes include the definition of religion, the secularization debate, the challenge of diversity, and the gendered aspects of religious experience. This ground-breaking reader is the first of its kind in Canada. This is the first book to examine religion and Canadian society in a meaningful, critical, feminist framework appropriate for the 21st century.

This text offers an outstanding selection of readings that represent an overview of the key issues in the sociology of religion from a uniquely Canadian perspective. Masterfully planned and united by clearly articulated themes, the second edition moves through three thematic cornerstones: contexts, identities, and strategies. Recurring sub-themes include the definition of religion, the secularization debate, the challenge of diversity, and the gendered aspects of religious experience. Key additions to this edition include a discussion on cultural diversity, an exploration of religion and sexuality, and a thorough historical overview of religion in Canada.