Control, Coercion, and Constraint : The Role of Religion in Overcoming and Creating Structures of Dependency

Abstract

The equality of all human beings before the divine is deeply rooted in religious thought. Yet religious discourse has also been used to explain, justify, and establish structures of strong asymmetrical dependency that may even include hierarchies of metaphysical beings. The contributors to this volume explore the role of religion in overcoming and creating structures of dependency from different disciplines and academic backgrounds.