The governance of religious diversity : challenges and responses

Abstract

According to the Pew Research Centre 2015s The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, the role of religion in contemporary societies is all but declining, with global trends pointing at a shrinking percentage of atheists and agnostics. Such predictions are largely based on demographic trends, which see religious families having a higher fertility rate than non-religious ones. In particular, while over the next decades Christians (currently representing almost one-third of the global population) are expected to remain the largest religious group – growing 35 per cent, about the same rate as the global population overall – Muslim communities are projected to grow faster than any other major religion. Against this backdrop, this Handbook responds to the need for critically investigating how religion and religious diversity is governed today in different world regions, looking at historical trends, current practices, norms, and institutions, and assessing the different ways in which religious minorities and majorities can have their needs and requests satisfied while safeguarding social cohesion.