The paper addresses the idea found in much of liberal political theory that there should be special restrictions concerning the role of religion in politics not only because religious arguments lack general accessibility but also because religious discourse is supposed to bear a special potential for causing violent conflict. The paper, first, discusses the link between religion and violence in the light of such literature that deals with this question empirically. Second, it reflects on the idea of an intrinsic connection between religion and violence on the conceptual plane. It is argued that the liberal topos of 'religion and violence' should not guide research in normative political theory on the role religion can play in politics but should itself be turned into an object of study: It should be analyzed as a manifestation of a broader European discourse that keeps constructing 'religion' as an essence with a particular 'nature'.
