The second of three volumes exploring contemporary challenges to the nation state, with a special focus on Israel, this volume examines the changing nature of the relationship between church and state. The editors (of Tel Aviv U., Bar Ilan U., and The Hebrew U. of Jerusalem, Israel) first present comparative case studies that review church-state relations in the United States, Canada, France, the Occupied Territories of Palestine (focusing on the relationship between the Palestinian National Authority and Islam), Pakistan, Turkey, and Syria. Four papers then address specific aspects of the Israeli case, including religion in the armed forces of Israel; the ethnic and national politics of Israel's ultra-orthodox party, Shas; political uses of the Hebrew Bible in current Israeli discourse; and the relationship between Jewish religious law and the Israeli legal system. Distributed in the US by IPG. Annotation ©2014 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)