The intertwined issues of religious freedom, religious rights and church-state relations are a major issue around the world. In fact, much of the story of human history is the story of quests for freedom by different religious groups in different places at different times. These quests and stories continue today in many countries. The Encyclopedia consists of 150 essays by scholars on topics including concepts and ideas, historical events and eras, major world religions, key issues of religious freedom, minority groups and the stance of major world religions on the issues of religious freedom.