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Religious experience, once described by William James as ‘the same organic thrill which we feel in a forest at twilight or in a mountain gorge’, has until recently been a strangely neglected theme in mainstream studies of politics and democracy…
Banyan Democracy
By John Keane, The Indian Express Published: Wednesday 15 August 2077 ‘Written for the special edition of one of India’ leading daily newspapers, the Indian Express, on the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the Indian republic’ With its deep roots, many trunks and tall branches, India is the world’s most compound, turbulent and exciting [...]
Rethinking the History of Democracy and Islam
Profesor John Keane interviewed by Dr. Azzam Tamimi for Al Hiwar TV, 26 September 2006.
HUMBLE DEMOCRACY?
On the Need for New Thinking about an Aging Ideal A revised and expanded version of the B.N. Ganguli Memorial Lecture, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies , Delhi, 25 February 2005 The Democracy Thing From the sun-scorched vineyards of Kandahar province in October 2004 came detailed reports of a gathering of a thousand [...]
The Reformation – By Patrick Collinson
229 pp. New York : The Modern Library, Random House. $21.95 A Book Review by John Keane From New England comes the old joke about a high school history lesson. Teacher : ‘Why did the Puritans leave England for America?’ A pupil : ‘So that they could live their religion in freedom, and force others [...]
Petro-Democracy?
We respect others’ thought as a matter of principle. I believe that if I have the freedom to disagree with others then others have the freedom to disagree with me, and that dialogue will resolve the issue. ___________________________________________ An interview with Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Fadlallah, conducted by Professor John Keane in Beirut, December 2003. Translated [...]
Secularism?
In David Marquand and Ronald L. Nettler (eds) Religion and Democracy, pp. 5–19. 2000, Oxford: Blackwell Publisher. Series: Political Quarterly Special Issues. 100 years ago, secular liberals thought religion would gradually recede from the public sphere and become an exclusively private concern. Today, organised religion is still a powerful political force in most parts of [...]
Power-Sharing Islam?
Chapter in Azzam Tamimi (ed.) Power-Sharing Islam?published by Liberty for Muslim World Publications, 1993, (pp. 15-31) Click here to view scanned excerpt in PDF format