Religion and Politics in a Global Society Comparative Perspectives from the Portuguese-Speaking World

Religion and Politics in a Global Society: Comparative Perspectives from the Portuguese Speaking World, edited by Paul Christopher Manuel, Alynna Lyon, and Clyde Wilcox, explores the legacy of the Portuguese colonial experience, with careful consideration of the lasting impression that this experience has had on the cultural, religious, and political dynamics in the former colonies.The expansion of Roman Catholicism by the Portuguese-and the Church's subsequent interactions with local religions and cultures-calls out for serious scholarly attention. This volume takes up that call. Applying the insights derived from three theoretical schools (religious society, political institutions, and cultural toolkit), this volume asks how religion and politics function in the global Lusophone society. It brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines, who offer in-depth case studies on Angola, Brazil, East Timor, Goa, Mozambique, and Portugal-societies connected by a shared colonial past and common cultural and sociolinguistic characteristics. Each chapter examines questions related to how faith and culture interrelate, and in how the various national experiences might resonate with those of other Lusophone countries. The volume holds considerable theoretical promise for a deeper understanding of the Lusophone global society, as well as for the larger field of religion and politics.

Paul Christopher Manuel is professor of political science at Mount Saint Mary's University. Alynna Lyon is associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire. Clyde Wilcox is professor of government at Georgetown University.