Encyclopedia of Law and Religion

Get access Subject: Law

Edited by: Gerhard Robbers and W. Cole Durham

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In recent years, issues of freedom of religion or belief and state-religion relations have become increasingly important worldwide. The Encyclopedia of Law and Religion, unique in its breadth and global coverage, provides an important foundational resource for study of these issues. The encyclopedia covers the relation between law and religion in its various aspects, including those related to the role of religion in society, the relations between religion and state institutions, freedom of religion, legal aspects of religious traditions, the interaction between law and religion, and other issues at the junction of law, religion, and state.

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Nicaragua

(3,730 words)

Author(s): Branden Kartchner
I. Social Facts Nicaragua has a population of over 5.8 million persons and more than 80% of the population is Christian. According to the most recent government census, 58.5% of the population is Catholic and 21.6% is Christian Evangelical. The Jehovah’s Witnesses constitute almost 1% of the population. In addition, around 16% of Nicaraguans have no religious affiliation. The Assemblies of God claim to be the largest Evangelical denomination, with more than 900 churches and around 400,000 baptized …
Source: Encyclopedia of Law and Religion

Niger

(1,709 words)

Author(s): Grace N. Mburu
I. Social Facts   Niger is a West African country with an estimated population of 19.2 million people. Though Niger is technically a secular state, 98% of its population professes the Islamic faith. Muslims are approximately 95% Sunni and 5% Shi’ite. Other religions represented in Niger include Catholicism and the Bahá’í faith. Bahá’ís primarily live in the capital, Niamey, and on the west side of the Niger River. There is also a very small part of the population that follows indigenous religious beliefs. Although the constitution gives protection to all forms of faith and gua…
Source: Encyclopedia of Law and Religion

Nigeria

(7,735 words)

Author(s): Ashley Isaacson Woolley
I. Social Facts Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world, with a population of approximately 180 million. The official census does not include questions about religion so precise numbers are unavailable, but there is a consensus that the nation is roughly evenly divided between Muslims (primarily in the north) and Christians (primarily in the south), with small numbers practicing traditional or other religions and very few professing no relig…
Source: Encyclopedia of Law and Religion

Niue

(1,673 words)

Author(s): Bill Atkin | Sean K. Brennan
I. Social Facts Niue is a small island country 2,400 kilometers northeast of New Zealand. Its population, almost entirely Polynesian, is only 1,600. 95% of Niueans live in New Zealand. Since the 1970s the population has dropped dramatically from nearly 5,500 due to migration to New Zealand. The population is predominantly Christian, owing to missions during the mid-1800s following Captain James Cook’s discovery of the island. Sixty-two percent (956 people) are associated with the Ekalesia Niue Church (previously known as the Congregational C…
Source: Encyclopedia of Law and Religion