The idea for this book came when Clyde was invited to give a paper for the Japanese Political Science Association meeting on religion and politics in the United States. The conversations that ensued with many of the Japanese political scientists reminded us of the enormous international differences that exist in the relationship between religion and politics. Clyde's enthusiasm and fascination with this experience was repeatedly conveyed to Ted, and it was not long before we were telling each other that the time was ripe for a systematic consideration of the issues raised by Clyde's trip. It was in considering the Japanese case in relation to the United States that we began to plan a larger collection of essays. The fine work that we had read over the years by our colleagues in the Religion and Politics Organized Section of the APSA helped us refine our questions, and has inspired our thinking.

We have assembled an impressive group of scholars, who have provided us with excellent studies of religious politics in different regional and national settings. We regard the chapters in this book as sophisticated in the sense that each author is quite sensitive to the cultural contexts and nuances in which religious politics is practiced in a particular place. We also believe that these works are accessible to readers interested in the different ways in which the sacred and the secular interact, but who are not area specialists or experts in the content of particular religious traditions.