Taming the Gods: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents

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Taming the Gods: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents

3.38 of 5 stars 3.38 · rating details · 50 ratings · 7 reviews

For eight years the president of the United States was a born-again Christian, backed by well-organized evangelicals who often seemed intent on erasing the church-state divide. In Europe, the increasing number of radicalized Muslims is creating widespread fear that Islam is undermining Western-style liberal democracy. And even in polytheistic Asia, the development of democ...more

Paperback, 144 pages

Published August 6th 2012 by Princeton University Press (first published 2010)

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Oct 20, 2011 Patrick McCoy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, current-affairs

Taming The Gods: Religion And Democracy On Three Continents Ian Buruma's latest book is a short treatise that looks at the relationship between democracy and religion in America, Europe, Japan, and China. In recent years, Bururma has written about the attitude of east with the west in Occidentalism and has investigated the clash between liberal Holland and Muslim fanatics in Murder In Amsterdam:The Death of Theo Van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance. I think these experiences have inspired him to...more Taming The Gods: Religion And Democracy On Three Continents Ian Buruma's latest book is a short treatise that looks at the relationship between democracy and religion in America, Europe, Japan, and China. In recent years, Bururma has written about the attitude of east with the west in Occidentalism and has investigated the clash between liberal Holland and Muslim fanatics in Murder In Amsterdam:The Death of Theo Van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance. I think these experiences have inspired him to search out the connections between the liberal democratic governments and the oppositional forces of religion of late. In the first section, "Full Tents and Empty Cathedrals" he looks at how democratic America and those of Europe differ. Buruma relies on the observations of DeTocqueville on America, which is such a religious country and the fact that religion has largely been left behind and continues to be distrusted in Europe as a reminder of the despotic rule of the church before the French revolution. Buruma rightly praises the division of church and state and analyzes the differences in the relations of politics and religion by looking at the views of influential thinkers like Spinoza, Hume, and Hobbes.

Buruma has written extensively on Asia and Japan and China in particular-he is fluent in both languages, thus he shows a strength in analyzing the connections between religion and government in this section. He begins with China from the Quing dynasty and in particular the influence of Confucius. He notes that there never was any true split between spiritual and secular authority. This is realized in the notion that secular power must be justified by moral ideology. He suggests that China must renounce their authoritarian claims on the moral and spiritual lives its citizens. Next, Buruma takes a look at Japan which likes to boast that religion plays no part in politics, which isn't completely true. However, he notes that is mostly in the past where Shinto crushed democratic aspirations and that religion played a role in Japan's response to superior Western power. The fact that Japan was on the periphery and therefore did not see themselves as superior to the Westerners as the Chinese did and who were subsequently subdued by them. Japan sought to learn from them and catch up instead. He also analyzes the influence of Nichiren sects on Tokugawa rule, which resulted largely in a separation of powers. This in turn allowed Japan to make the necessary changes to modernize and fight off western colonialism. it was then noted by a Japanese scholar that the western powers were able to be successful in their rule due to Christianity as a state religion and this led to the establishment of Shinto as the state religion. Thus, they brought state and religion back together. And this justified military conquest, impeded democratic institutions, and made it difficult for a secular dictator to take power. After their defeat, America established a secular democracy and ended state Shintoism. And Buruma suggests, the spiritual vacuum led to the establishment of dangerous cults like Aum Shinrinrikyo that dropped sarin gas in the subways in 1995. However, he suggests that it is not religion alone that promotes ethical behavior and the desire of the right to return to the past is unlikely.

The last section, "Enlightenment Values," takes a look at the the impact of the Enlightenment on christianity and in opposition to Islam. He ask whether or not can democratic governments can hold sway over religious people and it seems that they can with Christians, but the jury is still out with Muslims. He notes that most Middle Eastern Muslim countries have been autocratic for a number of reasons, but suggests democracies do exist: India and Indonesia. However, modern concerns are centered around becoming "Islamized." However, these revolutionaries are usually young people born and bred in Europe. He sees that the main challenge posed by Muslims in Europe is social and political rather cultural. How do you deal with Muslims who don't respect the law of the land? Buruma may not have the solution, but he defends the notion that there should continue to be a separation of church and state.

I found this to be a thought provoking discussion of the Muslim problem. And a good discussion of the modern history of the connection of religion and democracy on three continents. It is by no means a comprehensive study of the subject, but rather a compelling analysis for the general reader.

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Aug 12, 2011 Ivan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If one is sufficiently acquainted with historical ideas on democracy it would be entirely possible to skip the first two thirds of the book. The basic premise follows Alexis de Tocqueville in that democracy is a fruit of Divine morality, present and extolled in the Christian Faith, as witnessed by the 'greatest' nation on Earth:)

The analysis of religion and democracy in China is very shallow, literally ignoring all, but the reign of the Qin Shi Huangdi and last 200 years of Chinese history. The...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Juha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone, and especially Americans.

Shelves: india, history, china, japan, politics, social-science

In this short and reasoned treatise, Ian Buruma addresses a central issue of democracy, namely the separation of church and state, from a historical, social and political perspective.

The book is divided into three main parts. In the first, Full Tents and Empty Cathedrals, Buruma juxtaposes the experiences in Europe and in America, providing an insightful analysis of what separates—and unites—the old and the new continent, including the role of born-again evangelical Christians in American polit...more In this short and reasoned treatise, Ian Buruma addresses a central issue of democracy, namely the separation of church and state, from a historical, social and political perspective.

The book is divided into three main parts. In the first, Full Tents and Empty Cathedrals, Buruma juxtaposes the experiences in Europe and in America, providing an insightful analysis of what separates—and unites—the old and the new continent, including the role of born-again evangelical Christians in American politics. His conclusion, perhaps surprisingly, is that the gulf between ‘secular’ Europe and more traditionally religious America is not as large as it often is made to be. Buruma writes: “Our histories are not the same and we have different notions of who we are. But everywhere people are trying to cope with the confusions of a fast-changing world by reaching for fixed—and quite often newly made up—identities based on race, religion, or national culture” (p. 46). This summarizes one of the main theses in the book: that religious fervor must be understood not in theological, but in social and political terms.

The second part of the book, Oriental Wisdom, turns attention to China and Japan. He draws parallels and explains differences in history that led to different outcomes. Buruma is particularly well versed in Japan’s history since the Meiji Restoration through the pre-war years until today, and this knowledge translates into a clear analysis in this book, as well as several others by him. He provides an interesting analysis of Maoism in China and Emperor worship in Japan as examples where state and spiritual authority coincided. While religion today plays a smaller role in these East Asian countries, Buruma traces the rise of a variety of cults and other religious groups, such as the Falun Gong, to the spiritual vacuum left by the collapse of Maoism in China and the prohibition of political participation by the Chinese people. Similarly in Japan the focus on chasing economic prosperity has left such a vacuum.

The final part, Enlightenment Values, focuses on how Western liberal societies should deal with the rising multiculturalism in our societies. This is a particularly balanced and coherent section of the book. Buruma draws from well-known cases that have led to the Kulturkampf in Europe, over issues such as the cultural rights (to discriminate against women or for women to wear a veil) of immigrant groups in Europe against the demands for them to integrate into the host societies and their norms. It all boils down to a confrontation between those who defend anyone’s right to stick to his or her culture of origin (with no consideration of its respect for host country values) vs. those (probably in the majority in Europe now) who want immigrants to integrate into the society. It is very interesting to follow Buruma’s argumentation around the very difficult question between people’s right to their own culture vs. respecting ‘universal’ – or at least those of the majority of people in the country – values of Enlightenment. This is a dilemma many liberals in the West face, torn between the values of freedom that we so cherish and the knee-jerk desire to respect others’ cultural values, how much at cross-purposes they might be with ours. Buruma points out how it is often the same people (many of them left leaning intellectuals) who in the 1960s and 1970s defended Third World rights against Western (cultural) imperialism that now are most worried about the spread of illiberal values into Europe through immigration from poor countries. The comparisons between the different approaches towards immigrant groups taken by the UK, Holland and France is quite illuminating.

He discusses at some length problems related, especially, to the integration of Muslims (both immigrant and those born there) into the European society. One interesting example is the case of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who by now is a talk show star in the US, who having overcome her challenges in the home country of Somalia and the morally relativist Holland now fights for the rights of Muslim women to break away from the oppression of their original culture. Another case that Buruma discusses at some length is that of Salman Rushdie who earned himself a fatwa for his book 'The Satanic Verses' and had to go into hiding as a result.

Buruma draws a clear line against terrorists and religious fundamentalists who resort to violence. “The use of violence in a democracy, for whatever reason, can only be met with force,” he states (p. 115). He recognizes that while religious orthodoxy and political extremism can be linked, they are not the same thing nor does one necessarily lead to the other. However, discussing the cases of Mohammed Bouyeri, the Dutch born son of Moroccan immigrants who killed the film maker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam, and Mohammad Sidique Khan, leader of the 7/7 terrorists who bombed the London underground, Buruma traces their violent terrorism and ‘religious awakening’ to the isolation and cultural rootlessness they experienced in the European countries they were born into.

Buruma concludes convincingly that the separation of state and religion is quite essential in a democracy. A well functioning democratic society does not have to share the same social or religious values as long as everybody abides by the society’s rules and laws. He also makes a valuable distinction between respecting other people, while not necessarily respecting their beliefs. “Liberal democracies are now well served by laws that limit free speech, such as laws against blasphemy or denying the Holocaust or the Armenian genocide,” he writes, and continues “(T)here are ways, however, to respect the dignity of fellow citizens without recourse to the law” (p. 123).

Ian Buruma’s book is fabulously erudite. The writing is stellar and lucid, anchored firmly in the writings of Enlightenment philosophers, such as Spinoza and Hume, as well as Tocqueville, Confucius and others. He gets to the heart of the matter without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. Born in Holland from Dutch and British parents, Buruma spent a significant portion of his career in Japan and China. He now teaches at Bard College in New York. He is thus extraordinarily well placed to understand the historical and social situations in these countries located on three continents. He ends with paraphrasing Confucius: Let us leave the spirits aside, until we know how best to serve men.
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May 09, 2013 Svarnyp rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, history

A quite good essay on the relation of democracy and religion. Focusing strongly on Islam, but without any attacks on the religion itself. Accompanied also with a suitable amount of comments and references. If you want to study the problem deeper, this presents a good introduction. Also if you want to stay on the surface of the relation between government and religion, then you can read Buruma and stop there as he does not present a too simplistic picture and gives you enough insight to let you f...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brief and interesting comparative analysis of the role of religion in three different regions of the world: Christianity in the United States, Confucianism and other religions in East Asia, and Islam in Europe, especially in France and the Netherlands. This book serves as a great introduction to the complex issues of the relationship between religion, personal identity, secularism, and the role of the state in our daily lives. Mostly I just wish the book was longer and focused more on the compar...more

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Sep 17, 2010 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a slim 125 pager that’s a dense combination of political theory and current events. Definitely gave me some food for thought regarding the relationship between religion and politics, but I found the writing style too rooted in academic language and analysis for my taste. Quasi-recommended.

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Dec 27, 2012 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

ahhh. not what i expected. some good points once in awhile but a lot of random information thrown together.

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About Ian Buruma

Ian Buruma is a British-Dutch writer and academic, much of whose work focuses on the culture of Asia, particularly that of 20th-century Japan, where he lived and worked for many years.

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Books by Ian Buruma

Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance

Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies

The Wages Of Guilt: Memories Of War In Germany And Japan

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