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Taming the Gods: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents

von Ian Buruma

MitgliederRezensionenBeliebtheitDurchschnittliche BewertungDiskussionen
1005269,727 (3.07)10
For eight years the president of the United States was a born-again Christian, backed by well-organized evangelicals who often seemed intent on erasing the church-state divide. In Europe, the increasing number of radicalized Muslims is creating widespread fear that Islam is undermining Western-style liberal democracy. And even in polytheistic Asia, the development of democracy has been hindered in some countries, particularly China, by a long history in which religion was tightly linked to the state. Ian Buruma is the first writer to provide a sharp-eyed look at the tensions between religion and politics on three continents. Drawing on many contemporary and historical examples, he argues that the violent passions inspired by religion must be tamed in order to make democracy work. Comparing the United States and Europe, Buruma asks why so many Americans--and so few Europeans--see religion as a help to democracy. Turning to China and Japan, he disputes the notion that only monotheistic religions pose problems for secular politics. Finally, he reconsiders the story of radical Islam in contemporary Europe, from the case of Salman Rushdie to the murder of Theo van Gogh. Sparing no one, Buruma exposes the follies of the current culture war between defenders of "Western values" and "multiculturalists," and explains that the creation of a democratic European Islam is not only possible, but necessary. Presenting a challenge to dogmatic believers and dogmatic secularists alike, Taming the Gods powerfully argues that religion and democracy can be compatible--but only if religious and secular authorities are kept firmly apart.… (mehr)
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A weak entry in the genre, as the author manages to be totally superficial about a complicated subject, rushing through ideas without development. He fails to do as he stated he was going to do, demonstrate not only that religion is compatible with democracy but also perhaps required for it. This is reduced down to statements about the horrors of secularism in countries such as the Soviet Union and China, without any development of the ideas or even showing that they are, in fact, related to secularism. He also cites many prominent Christian and Deist writers of the Enlightenment stating that religion is necessary, which is not proof or evidence of anything, but rather opinion. In addition, he manages to make it appear as though the fatwa against Salman Rushdie was of no importance or notice to his free speech supporters, and instead that it was only because they were burning his books - something that has been defended by many of these academics, as the authors own discussion showed. He also managed to discuss the thinkers who influence the US founders without ever mentioning Tom Paine. His own presented evidence suggested that religion had been used for dictatorship and intolerance around the globe, including in the monotheistic religions, and without any opposing evidence, one would be more rational to conclude the opposite of what he claims to have demonstrated (but since he seems to be dismissing rationality as a basis for government or any other form of human institution, he might not be impressed by that). And like many other authors, he continually cites the "decadence" of western society from the standpoint of its detractors without unpacking to see just what that means. He takes the dissatisfaction with materialism (in the sense of the material world being all there is) as being more legitimate than opposing arguments, apparently, because he cites no opposing arguments, not even for refutation, except for a handful of early Enlightenment figures. He accepts at face value all claims of dissatisfaction and disillusionment in the younger generation as being valid, without questioning it. In addition, he provides no index, so it is difficult to cross reference even in this small, slight book. The main reason for the second star is that he does give an interesting, albeit sketchy, history of certain geopolitical areas, particularly China and Japan, that are often ignored in these sorts of books. Not recommended. There are much better works, no matter which way you believe as to whether democracy requires religion or not. ( )
  Devil_llama | Jul 13, 2019 |
Brief and interesting comparative analysis of the role of religion in three different regions of the world: Christianity in the United States, Confucianism and other religions in East Asia, and Islam in Europe, especially in France and the Netherlands. This book serves as a great introduction to the complex issues of the relationship between religion, personal identity, secularism, and the role of the state in our daily lives. Mostly I just wish the book was longer and focused more on the comparative aspects, especially in the conclusion, but I think Buruma intends it to be only the start of the conversation. I also recommend his Occidentalism (written with Avashi Margalit), which was similar in a way, but focuses on the origins of anti-Western attitudes. ( )
  MichaelDC | Apr 3, 2013 |
The relationship between religion and politics in Europe, the U.S., China, and Japan over the past few centuries.
  zenosbooks | Sep 9, 2012 |
Moedig van Buruma dat hij dit heikele thema bij de horens vat. Wat mij betreft is vooral het derde essay het leerrijkst, omdat het rechtstreeks ingaat op de "hot issues" van het moment. Zijn eigen standpunt bekoort door zijn evenwichtigheid en duidelijkheid, als een nieuwe invulling van het tolerantiebegrip. Het eerste essay (westerse denkers over staatkunde en de plaats van religie daarin) en het tweede (over de dubieuze rol van religie in China en Japan) zijn best interessant, maar nogal academisch en voegen maar heel zijdelings iets toe aan het debat dat in nummer drie wordt aangesneden. Toch aanbevolen lectuur! ( )
  bookomaniac | Jun 10, 2011 |
Zijn gedeelde waarden nodig om een samenleving bij elkaar te houden, of is de rechtstaat voldoende? Het is een vraag die de laatste jaren steeds weer terugkomt. Discussies over symbolen – hoofddoekjes, handen schudden, doen het goed. Met name rechtse politici hebben gehamerd op ‘normen en waarden’ die het cement voor de samenleving moeten vormen.
Publicist Ian Buruma, bekend van zijn boek over de moord op Theo van Gogh, heeft deze vraag systematisch behandeld in een kort boekje, dat desalniettemin een groot terrein beslaat.

Zie mijn bespreking op www.boekenstrijd.nl ( )
  boekenstrijd | Sep 11, 2010 |
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Wikipedia auf Englisch (1)

For eight years the president of the United States was a born-again Christian, backed by well-organized evangelicals who often seemed intent on erasing the church-state divide. In Europe, the increasing number of radicalized Muslims is creating widespread fear that Islam is undermining Western-style liberal democracy. And even in polytheistic Asia, the development of democracy has been hindered in some countries, particularly China, by a long history in which religion was tightly linked to the state. Ian Buruma is the first writer to provide a sharp-eyed look at the tensions between religion and politics on three continents. Drawing on many contemporary and historical examples, he argues that the violent passions inspired by religion must be tamed in order to make democracy work. Comparing the United States and Europe, Buruma asks why so many Americans--and so few Europeans--see religion as a help to democracy. Turning to China and Japan, he disputes the notion that only monotheistic religions pose problems for secular politics. Finally, he reconsiders the story of radical Islam in contemporary Europe, from the case of Salman Rushdie to the murder of Theo van Gogh. Sparing no one, Buruma exposes the follies of the current culture war between defenders of "Western values" and "multiculturalists," and explains that the creation of a democratic European Islam is not only possible, but necessary. Presenting a challenge to dogmatic believers and dogmatic secularists alike, Taming the Gods powerfully argues that religion and democracy can be compatible--but only if religious and secular authorities are kept firmly apart.

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