Minority Religions and Religious Tolerance - by Zoe Knox & Emily B Baran Hardcover

About the Book

Book Synopsis

This book is founded on a simple premise: that Jehovah's Witnesses are a crucial litmus test for tolerance.When Witnesses do not enjoy basic freedoms to practice their faith, scholars should consider what their treatment reveals about the broader state of tolerance and respect for religious pluralism and religious minority groups. They should also examine how the Witnesses' struggle for acceptance has shaped religious freedom and the protections enshrined in law in many modern states in the twenty-first century. This is what the authors call the 'Jehovah's Witness test'.

The contributors have run the 'JW test' across a range of countries, from Egypt and Mexico to Russia and South Korea, addressing religious, political and medical opposition and their outcomes for modern states and societies. They bring to their conclusions a wealth of perspectives; among them are medical experts, sociologists, political scientists, historians, anthropologists, and representatives of the Witness community.

Taken together, this volume is a call for scholars to look to the treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses as a barometer for the overall health of religious tolerance and basic civil liberties in our contemporary world.

Review Quotes

"One of the best introductions to the Jehovah's Witnesses, suitable for both the specialists and a general audience. While many believe they know the Jehovah's Witnesses, misunderstandings still abound. This book helps overcoming them." --Massimo Introvigne, CESNUR, Italy

"The Jehovah's Witness Test is an ingenious and remarkably effective means of assessing government and social reactions to religious minorities that peacefully persist in placing their understanding of God's Law above accepted practices and the law of the land. Anyone with even the slightest interest in the vagaries of religious toleration should read this wide-reaching, informative and thought-provoking volume." --Eileen Barker, London School of Economics, UK

About the Author

Zoe Knox is Associate Professor of Modern Russian History at the University of Leicester, UK.

Emily B. Baran is Professor of History at Middle Tennessee State University, USA.