Claiming Society for God: Religious Movements and Social Welfare - Tapa dura

"Illuminating intersections of religion and public life in four different nations, this book is topical. Given that two of these nations are in the Middle East and one of them is the U.S., it is of very contemporary relevance. Given that one of them is Egypt, it is timely, even urgent." R. Stephen Warner, University of Illinois at Chicago "[A]n engaging read from beginning to end ... I can think of no other recent book on orthodox movements that is as broad in its scope, rich and detailed in its narrative, well-grounded in its theory and insightful in its analysis as Claiming Society for God."--Review of Religious Research

Claiming Society for God focuses on common strategies employed by religiously orthodox, fundamentalist movements around the world. Rather than employing terrorism, as much of post-9/11 thinking suggests, these movements use a patient, under-the-radar strategy of infiltrating and subtly transforming civil society. Nancy J. Davis and Robert V. Robinson tell the story of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Shas in Israel, Comunione e Liberazione in Italy, and the Salvation Army in the United States. They show how these movements build massive grassroots networks of religiously based social service agencies, hospitals, schools, and businesses to bring their own brand of faith to popular and political fronts.