R. Murray Thomas is professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

"Thomas turns his considerable analytical skills not only to delineating religious controversies in 12 nations-France, Japan, England, India, Spain, China, Italy, Pakistan, the United States, Thailand, Australia, and Saudi Arabia-but also to discovering similarities and differences between these controversies and to explaining their contextual development. Furthermore, he investigates the success of recent attempts at resolving issues such as Muslim headscarves being worn in French public schools, teachers singing the Japanese national anthem, and multifaith religious education in schools versus Christian advocacy in England. Belief constituencies, tradition, critical events, and the exercising of power comprise an interpretative scheme that enables Thomas to condense vast amounts of material into fairly brief chapters addressing various perspectives and influences (e.g., tolerance for diversity, influence of anticolonialism, secularity versus religiosity). A very timely book; highly recommended for all libraries." - Library Journal

• PrefacePart I The Book's Vantage PointChapter 1: Varieties of ControversyChapter 2: The Nature of Belief SystemsReligious Belief SystemsNonreligious Belief SystemsChapter 3: Tradition, Critical Events, and the Exercise of PowerBelief ConstituenciesTraditionCritical EventsThe Exercise of PowerConclusionPart II: Analyses of the Twelve CasesChapter 4: FranceHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 5: JapanHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 6: EnglandHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 7: IndiaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 8: SpainHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 9: ChinaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 10: ItalyHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 11: PakistanHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 12: United States of AmericaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 13: ThailandHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 14: AustraliaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 15: Saudi ArabiaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyPart III: In RetrospectChapter 16: Answers and TrendsAnswersTrendsConclusionNotesReferencesIndex

R. Murray Thomas is professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

"Thomas turns his considerable analytical skills not only to delineating religious controversies in 12 nations-France, Japan, England, India, Spain, China, Italy, Pakistan, the United States, Thailand, Australia, and Saudi Arabia-but also to discovering similarities and differences between these controversies and to explaining their contextual development. Furthermore, he investigates the success of recent attempts at resolving issues such as Muslim headscarves being worn in French public schools, teachers singing the Japanese national anthem, and multifaith religious education in schools versus Christian advocacy in England. Belief constituencies, tradition, critical events, and the exercising of power comprise an interpretative scheme that enables Thomas to condense vast amounts of material into fairly brief chapters addressing various perspectives and influences (e.g., tolerance for diversity, influence of anticolonialism, secularity versus religiosity). A very timely book; highly recommended for all libraries." - Library Journal

• PrefacePart I The Book's Vantage PointChapter 1: Varieties of ControversyChapter 2: The Nature of Belief SystemsReligious Belief SystemsNonreligious Belief SystemsChapter 3: Tradition, Critical Events, and the Exercise of PowerBelief ConstituenciesTraditionCritical EventsThe Exercise of PowerConclusionPart II: Analyses of the Twelve CasesChapter 4: FranceHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 5: JapanHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 6: EnglandHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 7: IndiaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 8: SpainHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 9: ChinaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 10: ItalyHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 11: PakistanHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 12: United States of AmericaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 13: ThailandHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 14: AustraliaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyChapter 15: Saudi ArabiaHistorical RootsThe Contending ConstituenciesResolving the ControversyPart III: In RetrospectChapter 16: Answers and TrendsAnswersTrendsConclusionNotesReferencesIndex