Review Essays: Religious Resurgence and its Relationship to Secular Society

In this review of four books, key commonalities addressed by diverse authors are raised. While the authors of these works take on a variety of religious phenomena from aspects of conversion, the rationalization of religion and the impact of globalization to religious practice, an important thread that runs through these works relates to the current resurgence of religion. Scholars attempt to explain this resurgence, especially fundamentalism, which is of considerable relevance to secular society. How secular societies respond to such conservative religion is also an important consideration. On this matter, this review highlights the importance of understanding the role of Christianity and the significance of adopting a global perspective. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., copyright holder.]