A fascinating and enlightening contribution to the literature, this book opens up a whole new awareness of a variety of ways in which the concept of hope can be utilized as a productive tool in describing and explaining a wide range of social, religious and political situations. The contributors, mostly scholars in Australian universities, employ qualitative, quantitative and hermeneutic methods to expose new insights and a sensitivity to how hope – and hopelessness – has operated and continues to operate at individual, communal, societal and global levels.

Eileen Barker, London School of Economics

Basic hope is a neglected factor in social study. This collection has addressed this neglect by using Studies in Religion as a discipline that can combine treatment of hope as a socio-economic datum and as existential confidence. The approaches in this volume allow us to discern how forces of negativity, distrust and bigotry can be overcome by positive visions of goodwill that improve mutual understanding and mitigate social rupture.

Garry Trompf, University of Sydney