In states in which the public role of religion is controversial, religious instruction becomes both a means and an end of politics.

This groundbreaking collection of case studies drawn from Arab, Asian and European countries examines different aspects of religious instruction: how it is regulated, who decides its content, the values it imparts and, in particular, whether it triggers, deepens or reduces conflict.

Theodor Hanf is Honorary Professor of Political Science, University of Freiburg, Germany, and Visiting Professor of Political Studies, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. From 1972 to 2006 he was Director of the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute, Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany.

Dr. Karim El Mufti is Director of the Human Rights Legal Clinic, La Sagesse University, Lebanon.