"Politics & Religion: Normative Challenges & Empirical Puzzles" (original) (raw)
Related papers
Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions, 2005
The main purpose of this article is to suggest a few brief reflections on the relationship between religion and politics in the time of secularisation, from the point of view offered by the sacralisation of politics. I will start by drawing three examples from the history of contemporary Catholicism which show such a strong connection between religion and politics that they seem to present serious problems of interpretation. I will try, then, to demonstrate that at least some of these problems can be solved with the help of the analysis of political religions. If we identify, in fact, the sacralisation of politics as one of the products of secularisation, it is easier to look at another parallel development of the contemporary age: the politicisation of religion. And the two processes have important mutual relations. I will conclude by trying to show that many of the forms assumed by the politicisation of religion can be better understood taking into account the new point of view offered by recent research on civil and political religions.
The Interaction of Religion and Politics in the Public Sphere
2016
The two Istanbul 2016 workshops on "The Interaction of Religion and Politics in the Public Sphere", held in Istanbul on 28 February and lessons first from experts and then from political actors in the region. The following report is structured around the main topics of discussion, in three parts, and concludes with a discussion of recommendations, conclusions and next steps, as well as ideas for the continuation of the dialogue. These workshops were organised with two main objectives. One was to sensitise religiously inspired political actors of the North Africa region to the different contribution common space for different value systems, in various historical/geographic contexts, and how it differs from "secularism," an ideological stance that opposes other value systems. to contribute to ensuring that religio from political participation, and that both secular actors and faith approach to actors of different world views. Following an introduction to the background of sphere, the workshop raised discussions around the separation between religious and worldly practices within the Islamic tradition, as have been highlighted by numerous scholars from diverse backgrounds. These discussions revolved around topics that often produce strong discourse between secular-and religiously expression and blasphemy, and the basis of citizenship. The Istanbul workshop 2016 als experiences of religion and politics in the public sphere in a number of Muslim represented at the workshop. Additionally, participants also discussed key experiences of dialogue between political actors with different worldvi There was a certain consensus among participants on what issues refer to "religion" and "life"; not understood as separate, and not just defined with the term "distinction," as offered by one Moroccan Islamist participant. In the dynam contention over the understanding of certain issues of "life" and being "not fully religious." overcome this difficulty, participants discussed and found some consensus around useful distinctions on categories of rules and doctrines. Two were summarised for the sake of the "political discussion," but it was agreed that more categories could be mentioned. 1 Secularity can be defined as "the fruit of a negotiation on practical and concrete questions, linked to the concrete cohabitation of different communities, is arrived at in such a way that the conc compatible with the values or rules of that takes part in the negotiation. The product of these intercommunal negotiations is a secular space, the result of an approach, which is independent of one or the other religion, a religiously neutral approach."
Book: Religion and Politics in Jammu and Kashmir, 2020
The Kashmir conflict is intertwined simultaneously with competing nationalisms, religious and regional identities. Kashmiriyat -a regional identity (seemingly perceiving no contradiction in viewing the citizens of the Valley as being both Kashmiri and Muslim) -co-exists with Islamic and Hindu fundamentalisms, sometimes openly and at other times intersecting with political and regional nationalisms. 1 In order to make sense of the growth of ethnic nationalism and the assertion of religious fundamentalism in Kashmir, we must keep in mind Willfried Spohn's words: "the secularization process do not dissolve religion, but they develop in different patterns combining religious and secular components and proceed in oscillating movements of secularization and desecularization" (Spohn, 2003, 269).
Secularization, liberalism and the problematic role of religion in modern societies
Cuadernos Europes de Deusto, 61, 2019, 2018
This paper addresses two issues that are not causal factors for the rise of radical right wing populist movements but which constitute the framework within which the debates on ethno-religious pluralism and its relation with politics take place, namely: a defective understanding of the sociological secularization process and a liberal tradition that takes for granted many problematic notions and subtly determines the logics of the debate. These two unresolved questions hinder a good understanding of the complexity of social phenomena related to religion in contemporary Western societies such as fundamentalism, terrorism, political Islam or the claims of other religious groups to participate in the public sphere. In order to achieve the above goals, the article will focus on four interconnected points. The first one will be a short revision of secularization theory and of secularism as an ideology. The second one will constitute a questioning of the the liberal framework. In the third one, a particular way of approaching those social phenomena linked to religion will be proposed. And, finally, the factors related to religion that feed right populist movements will be examined more broadly.
Politicised religion and the religionisation of politics
The dilemmas of dealing with difference are currently at the heart of our society. Among the anomalies of our age is the survival and even flourishing of complex systems of values based on religion. However, we see that mosques flourish, ethnic associations with religious undertones multiply and religion is present in the public sphere through conflicts about religion or persons believed to be religious. Islam is a much discussed topic. The line between private and public religion is as thin as ever, and I would argue so is the line between religion and politics. This can be observed at two levels. First, the invocation of religion in the political discourse, leading to the politicisation of religion and second, as the influence religion has on political life, the religionisation of politics.
Ruth Wodak & Bernhard Forchtner (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Language and Politics. London: Routledge, 587–599., 2017
This chapter explores how the modern distinction between religion and the secular has become a debated and contested discursive tool in the political organization of modern societies. This discourse is in operation in scholarly works as well as in public debates. Both are introduced and examined in this chapter. The main argument is that while important social and political issues are negotiated with the help of categories such as 'religion' and the 'secular', scholars should pay more attention to what is achieved by deploying such categories and distinctions in various locations and contexts.