The religious world of the past forty years has been characterized by profound changes. Western and Eastern religions, both traditional and new, have rapidly developed into interactive, socio-political forces that cannot be ignored if we are to understand contemporary social forces. Until now, there has been no single scholarly work that deals with virtually all of the important postwar religious movements and issues in world religions. This unprecedented collection offers critical insights into diverse political, religious, and ideological traditions and their interaction in different regions of the world today.