Professor Michael Dumper Publishes New Book

Professor Michael Dumper’s new book, "Power, Piety and People: The Politics of Holy Cities in the 21st Century", examines the patterns of religious conflicts in cities and how they are contained or resolved.

The main argument of the book is that while all cities are arenas of contestation, some cities exhibit specific forms of conflict arising from the salience of religious activity within them. Beginning with his main area of expertise – the governance of Jerusalem - Dumper goes onto explore the cities of Cordoba, Banaras, Lhasa and George Town, Malaysia. The book concludes that there is a need for a complex and multi-layered approach that distinguishes between the problems arising out of immediate triggers of conflict from the longer-term foundations of religious difference and competition.

For further details and discount offers see the Columbia University Press website.