"For Two Centuries theorists of "secularization" have been saying that religion must inevitably decline in the modern world. But much of the world today is as religious as ever. This volume challenges the belief that the modern world is increasingly secular, showing that while modernization does have secularizing effects, it also provokes a reaction that more often strengthens religion. Seven expert social observers examine several geopolitical regions and several religions - Catholic and Protestant Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam - and explore the resurgence of religion in world affairs."--BOOK JACKET.