Although students and scholars of social problems have often acknowledged the role of religion, no thorough examinations of the relation between the two have emerged. This book fills this gap by providing a definitive work on the impact of religion on social problems, religion as a solution to social problems, and religion as a social problem in itself.

1. Religion and Social Problems: Three Perspectives Titus Hjelm Part 1: The Impact of Religion on Social Problems 2. The Indirect Result of Religious Norms and Practices: Explaining Islam's Role in Limiting the Spread of HIV/AIDS Amy Adamczyk 3. Islam and Labor Market Integration in Denmark Peter B. Andersen and Peter Lüchau Part 2: Constructing Religion as a Solution to Social Problems 4. Religious Diversity and Social Problems: The Case of Britain James A. Beckford 5. Fighting Against Unemployment: Finnish Parishes as Agents in European Social Fund Projects Sanna Lehtinen 6. Religion as a Solution to Social Problems: A Christian Orthodox Approach to International Humanitarian Issues Lina Molokotos-Liederman 7. Religion and Social Capital Research in South Africa: Mapping an Agenda in Progress Ignatius Swart 8. Campaigning for Justice: Religious and Legal Activism in Challenging Illegal Immigration as a Social Problem in the U.S. Gastón Espinosa 9. Missionaries and Social Workers: Visions of Sexuality in Religious Discourse Marian Burchardt Part 4: Constructing Religion as a Social Problem 10. Perception of Muslims and Islam in Australian Schools: A National Survey Abe W. Ata 11. Religious Problems in Contemporary Japanese Society: Two Cases after the Aum Shinrikyo Affair Michiaki Okuyama 12. George W. Bush and Church-State Partnerships to Administer Social Service Programs: Cautions and Concerns Derek H. Davis 13. The Cult as a Social Problem Eileen Barker 14. Other Religions as Social Problem: The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and Afro-Brazilian Traditions Steven Engler 15. Islam and Integration in German Media Discourse Yasemin El-Menouar and Melanie Becker