Religion and Canadian Party Politics - Softcover

Rayside, David; Sabin, Jerald; Thomas, Paul E.J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0774835591 ISBN 13: 9780774835596

Publisher: UBC Press, 2018

Synopsis

Religion is usually thought of as inconsequential to contemporary Canadian politics. Religion and Canadian Party Politics takes a hard look at just how much influence faith continues to have in federal, provincial, and territorial political arenas.

Drawing on case studies from across the country, this book explores three important axes of religiously based contention in Canada. Early on, there were the denominational distinctions between Catholics and Protestants that shaped party oppositions. Since the 1960s, a newly politicized divide opened between religious conservatives and political reformers. Then from the 1990s on, sporadic controversy has centred on the recognition of non-Christian religious minority rights. Although the extent of partisan engagement with each of these sources of conflict has varied across time and region, this book shows that religion still matters in shaping party politics .

This detailed look at the play of religiously based conflict and accommodation in Canada fills a large gap and pulls us back from overly simplified comparisons with the United States. More broadly, this book also compares the role of faith in politics in Canada to that of other Western industrialized societies.

About this title

About the Author

David Rayside is a professor emeritus of political science and sexual diversity studies at the University of Toronto. Jerald Sabin is a research associate with the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation at Carleton University. Paul E.J.Thomas is a SSHRC postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University.

Edition details

• Publisher: UBC Press
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0774835591
• ISBN 13: 9780774835596
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448