GLENCOE, Ill., Sept. 30, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The right of religious freedom is the reason why the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. In 1948, the United Nations hoped to extend this freedom around the world with a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, it still seems there is a great deal of religious unrest throughout the world. In her new book, God Caesar and the Freedom of Religion (now available through 1stBooks), author Elizabeth Warren examines 191 countries' efforts to protect religious freedoms.
"Religions are vital to societies. They give people a way to express their response to the divine impulse. They form the basis for social order and morality ... (G)enerally governments do secure religious freedom to their peoples ... but in today's world ... some governments restrict religious institutions or restrict the right of people to practice their religion," Warren states.
God Caesar and the Freedom of Religion is an overview of the current experience of nations considering freedom of religion. Warren focuses on the relationships between governments and religion and the multicultural context in which they interact. With her book, Warren seeks to find if the countries who signed the 1948 declaration are upholding their commitment. Using the State Department's annual report on human rights and international religious freedom, Warren discovered many are holding up to their commitment, while others are not and, in some cases, have completely repressed religious freedom.
"Inter-religious rivalry, sometimes exploding into violent conflict, can seriously interfere with the freedom of religion. The book looks at some of the sources of such conflicts in specific cases, and discusses ways in which they have resolved, or not resolved," she says.
With a focus on human rights not theology, God Caesar and the Freedom of Religion is an insightful look at the world's diversity and how much tolerance the world has gained.
Warren has a doctorate in political science from the University of Nebraska. She taught politics at the college level for nearly 19 years and also served as trustee and then mayor of Glencoe, Ill. God Caesar and the Freedom of Religion is her first book on human rights.
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