With respect to the countries of the world, this work addresses two basic questions: How does religion affect politics in this country? and How does politics affect religion in this country?

Although there are many books on the topics of religion and politics, reference works that consider the two together are few, with those that do exist primarily addressing theory rather than trends. The present work does the latter, contextualizing them within regional and national boundaries. In so doing, it recognizes the power of political and religious ideas and movements on individuals, communities, and nations, making the work a valuable resource for several disciplines, among them political science, international relations, religion, and sociology.

The work focuses on the interplay of religion and politics in countries around the world with an emphasis on the post-2000s. It is organized by global geographic regions including Africa, Central and South America, and the Middle East and presents countries alphabetically within those sections. Each region has a brief overview of the political-religious dynamics of the area so readers can compare and contrast the dynamics between and among countries in a region. The work also includes an introduction, sidebars, and a bibliography.

Covers major geographic regions such as Africa and South America and provides alphabetically arranged entries on topics related to religion and contemporary politics in particular countries

Cites works for further reading

Features essays within each section that compare and contrast the dynamics of religion and politics among the countries within that region

Contains sidebars that highlight key points and present interesting information

Provides a bibliography of the most important broad works on contemporary religion and politics in the modern world