Religious Freedom in the World Survey

The Center for Religious Freedom’s second edition of Religious Freedom in the World (Rowman and Littlefield), edited by Paul Marshall, was published in February 2008. This survey describes and rates over 100 key countries and territories, especially those where religious freedom is most violated, using criteria based on international law. It profiles countries in short narrative sketches, comparatively ranks them according to a standard set of criteria of religious freedom for all religious groups, and includes scores and charts of freedom. In each case, it correlates religious freedom with measures of economic freedom, social wellbeing, civil liberties, and political rights. It also features essays by experts explaining and evaluating current relevant world issues and trends. Its findings have been reported in the Economist (“Worship at Will” July 11, 2007), Foreign Policy (“Failed States Index 2007: Failing the Faithful,” July/August 2007), and several dozen other media outlets.

To buy a copy of Religious Freedom in the World, please visit the Hudson bookstore.

For a listing of media coverage on the survey’s findings, please click here.

Essays from the Survey:

The Range of Religious Freedom – by Paul Marshall

God’s Economy: Religious Freedom & Socio-Economic Wellbeing – by Brian J. Grim

Free to Choose: Economics and Religion – by Theodore Malloch

Statistics from the Survey:

Country Religious Freedom Scores Compared to Freedom House Rankings of Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Grim & Finke Scores for Government Regulation of Religion (GRI), Government Favoritism of Religion (GFI), and Social Regulation of Religion (SRI)

World Trends in Religious Freedom

On Monday July 9, 2007, the Center for Religious Freedom held a panel discussion to mark the release of the survey’s initial findings. Below, you can find selected materials from the panel.

Biographical Information on July 9 Panel Participants: Paul Marshall, Michael Novak, Brian J. Grim, Theodore Roosevelt Malloch, Zainab al-Suwaij, and Richard Land

Powerpoint Presentation by Paul Marshall

Powerpoint Presentation by Brian J. Grim

Powerpoint Presentation by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch

Please note: the material posted above is copyrighted by the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and cannot be reproduced without the Center’s permission.