The Law and Religious Market Theory: China, Taiwan and Hong Kong

Description

With comparative case studies from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, Jianlin Chen's new work offers a fresh, descriptive and normative perspective on law and religion. This presentation of the original law and religious market theory employs an interdisciplinary approach that sheds light on this subject for scholars in legal and sociological disciplines. It sets out the precise nature of religious competition envisaged by the current legal regimes in the three jurisdictions and analyses how certain restrictions on religious practices may facilitate normatively desirable market dynamics. This updated and invaluable resource provides a new and insightful investigation into this fascinating area of law and religion in Greater China today.

Jianlin Chen grew up in Singapore and Taiwan. He obtained his LL.B. from the National University of Singapore, and his LL.M. and J.S.D. from the University of Chicago. He is qualified to practice in Singapore and New York. Bilingual in English and Chinese, Jianlin has nearly thirty scholarly publications in journals such as Columbia Journal of Asian Law, Law and Social Inquiry, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, and , among many others. He is Associate Professor at Melbourne Law School, after having started his academic career at the University of Hong Kong.

'A brilliant and essential read for those interested in exploring the complex and multifaceted ways in which law and religion interact. Chen does a masterful job elucidating the situation in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, yet his work is relevant to the relationship between law and religion around the globe. I am not generally a fan of the 'market' approach to understanding law or religion, but the way in which Chen uses that approach to shine a light on the deeper interaction between law and religion and the many problems with the concept of neutrality is enlightening. Simply put, this book is a must read for all law and religion scholars.' Frank S. Ravitch, Michigan State University College of Law