The focus of this comprehensive anthology is hate speech by religious actors or in the name of religion. Such hate speech has grown in severity, leading to tragic occurrences of violence and acts of terrorism. This has become a challenge of concern to the international community as a whole. The anthology offers in-depth case studies of religion-based or -related hate speech (India, Myanmar and the former Yugoslavia); explanations and discussions of relevant international law, philosophical and religious normative frameworks; expert analyses of factors motivating hate speech in the name of religion (including personality and situational factors, colonial prejudice, abuse of religious themes and exploitation of social influence); and 250 pages of analysis of measures available to assist religious leaders to reduce or prevent hate speech by their members or in the name of their community. The book identifies a variety of formal and informal sanctions or means of disapproval that may be available to religious leaders who seek to reduce hate speech.

The anthology contains 31 chapters and several forewords, with contributions by 40 leading authors from diverse backgrounds, in alphabetical order: Fathi M.A. Ahmed, U Aye Lwin, Mohamed Elewa Badar, Dorit Beinisch, Morten Bergsmo, Charles M. Bo, Emiliano J. Buis, Vincenzo Buonomo, Ioana Cismas, Medha Damojipurapu, Laura Dellagiacoma, David Donat-Cattin, Bani Dugal, Gunnar M. Ekeløve-Slydal, Mona Elbahtimy, Rana Moustafa Essawy, Nazila Ghanea, Majda Halilovic, Harleen Kaur, Claus Kreß, U Kyaw Tin, Jacques P. Leider, Madan B. Lokur, David J. Luban, Adel Maged, Kishan Manocha, Michael Marett-Crosby, Ariel Merari, Svein Mønnesland, Shruti Narayan, Matthias Neuner, Gilad Noam, Ochi Megumi, Fania Oz-Salzberger, Eli Salzberger, Song Tianying, Eliyahu Stern, Peter J. Stern, Usha Tandon and Johan Vibe.