This paper drew on historical evidence to tell the story of how religious freedoms arose in America. More than twenty years ago, I published a paper entitled “Religious Deregulation: Origins and Consequences” ( Finke 1990). ![]() This isn't the first time that I have sought to explain the origins and consequences of restrictions on religion. Drawing on these new sources, including my own work with Brian Grim, Jaime Harris and Robert Martin, I want to explore both the origins and the consequences of religious freedoms in the global arena. ![]() Since 2000 there has been a flurry of data collections on religious restrictions and a new body of research has begun to emerge. Whether the theoretical discussion involves civil liberties, economic development, social conflict or a long list of other topics, the restrictions placed on these freedoms have potential consequences that need to be understood. But the theoretical importance of religious freedoms is not limited to religious economy arguments and the potential substantive consequences go far beyond religion. Because denying religious freedoms represent regulations or restrictions placed on religion, these denials lie at the heart of religious economy arguments. Huntington's “Clash of Civilizations” thesis is the most notable exception, but this approach gained little support from other social scientists and his silence on religious freedoms spoke volumes for many ( Huntington 1996).ĭespite this silence, religious freedoms are of both theoretical and substantive importance for those who study religion. ![]() Indeed, even for the heavily studied topic of international social conflict, little attention was given to religion and even less was given to religious freedoms. Prior to 2000, there were no systematic data collections on religious freedoms and few studies attempted to understand either the origins or the consequences of these freedoms. But if religious freedoms were frequently overlooked in policy, they were virtually ignored in international studies. When an unlikely alliance of religious and human rights groups advocated for improving international religious freedoms in the mid-1990s, they described the freedoms as the overlooked “orphan of human rights” ( Hertzke 2004, p. Finally, I review additional areas where research is needed. ![]() Turning to the consequences of religious restrictions, I explore how and why restrictions alter the religious economy (i.e., formation, supply and operation of religions) and are associated with higher levels of religious persecution, religious violence and intrastate conflict in general. To understand the motives for restrictions, I propose hypotheses in three areas: the relationship or lack of relationship between institutional religion and the state, the willingness and capacity of the state to ensure freedoms, and the larger social and cultural pressures restricting freedoms, including social and political movements targeting minority religions. Drawing on this new body of research, and multiple research projects in progress, this address explores both the origins and consequences of religious restrictions in the global arena. Despite the international controversies surrounding religious restrictions and freedoms, the topic has only recently received substantial research attention.
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