Exploring why people persecute beliefs and how toleration edges forward.
Religious Persecution: A Study in Political Psychology examines the long struggle between enforcing belief and allowing free conscience. It traces how modern states moved toward neutrality between Church and State, and why tolerance has been hard-won and fragile.
The book surveys historical shifts in England, the American colonies, and Europe, showing how political needs, philosophical ideas, and social change shaped the treatment of dissent. It highlights the limits of toleration, the dangers of clerical power, and the occasional paths toward a more open public sphere.
- How state power and religious authority have interacted across centuries
- Why toleration emerged, faltered, and sometimes collapsed
- Key debates on church–state relations and civic morality
- Influential thinkers and moments that influenced policy and public opinion
Ideal for readers of history, political psychology, and religious studies seeking a clear account of how tolerance moves from idea to practice.