Religion and Illiberal Politics: Theorising an Under-Researched Relationship

Abstract

This panel presents the theoretical contributions of the forthcoming edited volume “Religion and Illiberal Politics in Europe. Actors, Factors, Identity Narratives”. The book analyses theoretically and empirically the complex links between religious and political actors, ideas or programs, which lead to an exclusivist, anti-pluralist or nationalist vision of society. Core questions of the theoretical part concern the concept of “the illiberal” in relation to the notions of e.g. anti-liberal or right-wing populist politics. Another focus is on theoretical underpinnings of how religion as ideological source or in terms of actors with religious affiliation serves illiberal political purposes. Finally, it presents some findings on factors and conditions which according to the studies presented in the volume trigger the interaction of religion and illiberal politics.