Religious Revival, Secularisation, or Both? Religion and politics in times of increasing societal complexity

The role of religion in current politics has become increasingly complex. On the one hand, Western societies keep becoming more secularized as the share of non-denominational people in populations grows and religiously influenced values such as traditional family models and gender roles are still in retreat. On the other hand, religion is an ongoing issue in political debates, for instance, when it comes to the visibility of religious attire in the public sphere, the accommodation of religious minorities, or the dangers of religious fundamentalism. Furthermore, some would even argue that we observe a return of religion deriving from the settlement of more deeply religious (primarily Muslim) immigrants but also from a backlash within secularized societies where Christianity is being rediscovered. This section intends to disentangle the complex relations between religion and politics in current Western societies as well as beyond. Panels will illuminate to what extent secularization is still relevant and where religions manage to maintain a dominant factor or even succeed in making a comeback. When doing so, panels will focus on the current role of religious actors, such as religious parties or churches, on national and regional levels and in the global context. Furthermore, panels will refer to discourses on relevant issues such as LGBT+ rights, reproductive medicine, bioethics, religious education, religious buildings, symbols, and attire in the public sphere, or religious fundamentalism.