Religion, Law, and Freedom: A Global Perspective introduces readers to diverse perspectives on the interplay of religion, law, and communications freedom in different cultures around the world. Through discussion and analysis of the religious mores and cultural values that a nation adheres to, a greater understanding of that nation, its laws, and its freedoms can be cultivated. Rather than suggesting that harmony can be achieved without conflict, the essays in this volume seek to present the reader with a variety of perspectives from which to view and understand the relationships among religion, law, and freedom in various cultures. This multifaceted analysis, therefore, helps readers draw their own conclusions as to the best way to resolve cultural conflict brought about by the growing global community.The book consists of fifteen chapters, authored or coauthored by 17 international scholars representing China, Germany, Israel, Iran, Japan, Latvia, Nigeria, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The chapters are organized into four parts: Perspectives on Eastern and Western Religions; Press Freedom in Religious and Secular Societies; Journalism, Advertising, and Ethical Issues; and Religion, Politics, Media, and Human Rights. This important contribution will especially appeal to researchers and students in such fields as mass communications, legal studies, cultural studies, political science, religion, intercultural communications, international communications, and journalism.

Foreword by Cees J. HamelinkPrefaceIntroductionPerspectives on Eastern and Western ReligionsHistorical Perspectives on Contemporary Freedom in America by Ron ManutoReligion, Religious Expression, and the Law in the European Union by Manny ParaschosLaw and Religious Freedom in Medieval China: State Regulation of Buddhist Communities by Tanya StorchPress Freedom in Religious and Secular SocietiesThe Problems of Press Freedom in Iran: From the Constitutional Revolution to the Islamic Revolution by Kazem Motamed-Nejad and Naiim BadiiThe "Monkey Trial" in the Land of the Bible: Modern Techniques of Religious Censorship: The Case Study of Israel by Yehiel Limor and Hillel HossekWho Speaks for China? State Control Over Discourse on Opium by Alan BaumlerPluralism and Prior Restraint on Religious Communication in Nigeria: Policy Versus Praxis by Bala MusaLatvian Legal and Liturgical Legacy: First Transgressions and Turmoil, Then Technology and Tolerance by Riley MaynardJournalism, Advertising, and Ethical IssuesProfessional Ethics and Socio-Political Mobilization of Muslim Journalists: A Study of Communication, Ethics and the Islamic Tradition by Hamid MowlanaConfucian Conflicts in Singaporean Advertising: A Case Study of the "Wonder Bra" Campaign by Linda K. FullerReligion, Politics, Media, and Human RightsWhen Size Does Matter: How Church Size Determines Media Coverage of Religion by Michael J. BreenTranscultural Communication and the Antinomy Between Freedom and Religion: A Comparison of Media Responses to the Rushdie Affair in Germany and the Middle East by Kai HafezJapanese Media, Religion and the Law by Dan TinianowEconomic Liberalization and Political Conservatism as Reflected in China's Media Development (1978 - Present) by Guo KeFaith in Human Rights: Human Rights in Faith by Nazila Ghanea-HercockSelected BibliographyIndex