Many writers now talk about “the globalization of pluralism,” but most of the time they are talking about political diversity than religious.  One reason for that is that religious pluralism poses special challenges not only for the state and society, but also for particular religions and believers.  Many of them are now struggling in various countries to come to terms with other kinds of pluralism, an especially difficult challenge given that religious communities are especially sensitive to both in-group and out-group distinctions, such as proper versus improper, saved ve...

Azerbaijan has a well-deserved reputation for religious tolerance, a country whose people respect each other’s faiths, but the country’s legal arrangements intended to protect and advance religious tolerance are less well-known.  This article addresses the constitutional and legal arrangements that the Republic of Azerbaijan has put in place to ensure that all its citizens are free to practice their religion and that all religions are equal before the law. Under the terms of the country’s constitution and laws, the government respects the rights of all faiths and believers and...

Some 150 religious leaders from more than 30 countries around the world gathered in Baku April 26-27 for a summit meeting on “Globalization, Religion and Traditional Values,” a meeting that had immense symbolic and practical importance not only for the participants but for Azerbaijan and the world. On the one hand, the meeting served to call attention both to Azerbaijan as a symbolic crossroads of civilizations and a land proud of its history of religious and ethnic tolerance and to the common views many religious leaders have on particular political and economic questions.  And...