This book examines key debates on religion and democratization from three main perspectives:

1. Religion and Democratizations: An Introduction Jeffrey Haynes Section 1: Religion, Democratization and Democracy 2. The Multi-Faceted Role of Religious Actors in Democratization Processes: Empirical Evidence from Five Young Democracies Mirjam Künkler and Julia Leininger 3. 'Catholic Waves' of Democratization? Roman Catholicism and its Potential for Democratization Jodok Troy 4. Democratization in Israel, Politicized Religion and the Failure of the Oslo Peace Process Claudia Baumgart-Ochse 5. Democratizing State-Religion Relations: A Comparative Study of Turkey, Egypt and Israel Amal Jamal 6. Spiritual Capital and Democratization in Zimbabwe: A Case Study of a Progressive Charismatic Congregation Gladys Ganiel Section 2: Secularization, Democratization and Democracy 7. Islam and Democratization in Turkey: Secularism and Trust in a Divided Society Ioannis N. Grigoriadis 8. The Fethullah Gülen Movement and Politics in Turkey: A Chance for Democratization or a Trojan Horse? Istar B. Gözaydin 9. A Rights-Based Discourse to Contest the Boundaries of State Secularism? The Case of the Headscarf Bans in France and Turkey Amélie Barras 10. The Problematic Nature of Religious Autonomy to Minorities in Democracies: The Case of India's Muslims Ayelet Harel-Shalev 11. Conclusion: Religion, Democratization and Secularization Jeffrey Haynes