Book Review: Eileen Barker and James T. Richardson (eds), Reactions to the Law by Minority Religions

Religious believers can find themselves in an uncomfortable position, answerable to their god(s) yet having to live an earthly existence and so also answerable to human law. From a Christian perspective the situation is summarized in Jesus’ instruction to ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s’ (Mark 12.17). The challenge is great when belief or practice are contradicted by human law, a situation relevant to many religions. In Reactions to the Law by Minority Religions, edited by Eileen Barker and James T. Richardson, a collection is presented that focuses on the experiences of minority religions, those that perhaps more often face legal challenges over belief, practice or existence. Contributions cover North America, Europe and Asia and are from sociology, religious studies, history and law, as well as from representatives of minority faiths, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Scientology and the Unification Church.