This edited collection is one of the few sociological and anthropological studies of Halal markets. The chapters inquire into the legal and religious aspects of Halal markets in non-Muslim contexts or the countries where the label 'Halal' matters, and is not taken for granted as it is the case in most of the Muslim world where it is an accepted norm. In many countries, 'Halal' has become a type of brand used to market food and cosmetic products. This is an effective marketing strategy because it appeals directly to Muslims, but also increasingly to non-Muslims who seek pure, fresh products. In this case 'Halal' implies attributes similar to other brands where quality and purity is guaranteed, such as Fair Trade, Bio or organic in the US and Europe, but with the additional appeal to prospective Muslim consumers that it satisfies Islamic norms.The book consists of contributions on Halal economies in non-Muslim societies dealing with such dilemmas as rational thinking and halal philosophy within various fields of halal economy such as regulation, production, marketing, service delivery and consumption.

This edited collection is one of the few sociological and anthropological studies of Halal markets. The chapters inquire into the legal and religious aspects of Halal markets in non-Muslim contexts or the countries where the label 'Halal' matters, and is not taken for granted as it is the case in most of the Muslim world where it is an accepted norm. In many countries, 'Halal' has become a type of brand used to market food and cosmetic products. This is an effective marketing strategy because it appeals directly to Muslims, but also increasingly to non-Muslims who seek pure, fresh products. In this case 'Halal' implies attributes similar to other brands where quality and purity is guaranteed, such as Fair Trade, Bio or organic in the US and Europe, but with the additional appeal to prospective Muslim consumers that it satisfies Islamic norms.The book consists of contributions on Halal economies in non-Muslim societies dealing with such dilemmas as rational thinking and halal philosophy within various fields of halal economy such as regulation, production, marketing, service delivery and consumption.

This book seeks to explain the political and religious factors leading to the economic reversal of fortunes between Europe and the Middle East.

Robert Nelson’s Reaching for Heaven on Earth, Economics as Religion, and The New Holy Wars: Economic Religion Versus Environmental Religion in Contemporary America read almost like a trilogy, exploring and charting the boundaries of theology and economics from the Western foundations of ancient Greece through the traditions that Nelson identifies as “Protestant” and “Roman,” and on into modern economic forms such as Marxism and capitalism, as well as environmentalism. Nelson argues that economics can be a genuine form of religion and that it should inform our understanding of the religious developments of our times. This edition of Economics as Religion situates the influence of his work in the scholarly economic and theological conversations of today and reflects on the state of the economics profession and the potential implications for theology, economics, and other social sciences.

This book, together with a complementary volume 'Religion in Consumer Society', focuses on religion, neoliberalism and consumer society; offering an overview of an emerging field of research in the study of contemporary religion. Claiming that we are entering a new phase of state-religion relations, the editors examine how this is historically anchored in modernity but affected by neoliberalization and globalization of society and social life. Seemingly distant developments, such as marketization and commoditization of religion as well as legalization and securitization of social conflicts, are transforming historical expressions of 'religion' and 'religiosity' yet these changes are seldom if ever understood as forming a coherent, structured and systemic ensemble. 'Religion in the Neoliberal Age' includes an extensive introduction framing the research area, and linking it to existing scholarship, before looking at four key issues: 1. How changes in state structures have empowered new modes of religious activity in welfare production and the delivery of a range of state services; 2. How are religion-state relations transforming under the pressures of globalization and neoliberalism; 3. How historical churches and their administrations are undergoing change due to structural changes in society, and what new forms of religious body are emerging; 4. How have law and security become new areas for solving religious conflicts. Outlining changes in both the political-institutional and cultural spheres, the contributors offer an international overview of developments in different countries and state of the art representation of religion in the new global political economy.

This Handbook introduces and systematically explores the thesis that the economy, economic practices and economic thought are of a profoundly theological nature. Containing more than 40 chapters, this Handbook provides a state-of-the-art reference work that offers students, researchers and policymakers an introduction to current scholarship, significant debates and emerging research themes in the study of the theological significance of economic concepts and the religious underpinnings of economic practices in a world that is increasingly dominated by financiers, managers, forecasters, market-makers and entrepreneurs. This Handbook brings together scholars from different parts of the world, representing various disciplines and intellectual traditions. It covers the development of economic thought and practices from antiquity to neoliberalism, and it provides insight into the economic–theological teachings of major religious movements. The list of contributors combines well-established scholars and younger academic talents. The chapters in this Handbook cover a wide array of conceptual, historical, theoretical and methodological issues and perspectives, such as the economic meaning of theological concepts (e.g. providence and faith); the theological underpinnings of economic concepts (e.g. credit and property); the religious significance of socio-economic practices in various organizational fields (e.g. accounting and work); and finally the genealogy of the theological–economic interface in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and in the discipline of economics itself (e.g. Marx, Keynes and Hayek). The Routledge Handbook of Economic Theology is organized in four parts: • Theological concepts and their economic meaning • Economic concepts and their theological anchoring • Society, management and organization • Genealogy of economic theology

The place of religion in society has changed profoundly in the last few centuries, particularly in the West. In what will be a defining book for our time, Taylor takes up the question of what these changes mean, and what, precisely, happens when a society becomes one in which faith is only one human possibility among others.