A Companion to Religion, Politics, and Nations

A groundbreaking framework examining the role of religion in national and global political spheres

A Companion to Religion, Politics, and Nation is an essential resource for understanding the profound and evolving interactions between religion, politics, and the concept of the nation. Unlike conventional approaches that treat religion as an ideological outlier in political systems, this innovative volume centers the nation as a transformative force on religious identities and political dynamics. Through a multidisciplinary lens that draws from political science, anthropology, history, and religious studies, a diverse panel of scholars illuminates how national communities continuously reshape intersections between civic morality, political power, and collective religious identity.

The Companion spans diverse historical periods and religious traditions while addressing urgent contemporary issues such as multiculturalism, race and ethnicity, gender rights, and the globalization of religious communities. By breaking down traditional dichotomies—such as the assumption that religion's political presence is abnormal or isolates domestic from international influences—the Companion offers a novel analytical framework to navigate these complex interactions. In-depth chapters synthesize and critique leading theories, bridge critical gaps in existing scholarship, and present comparative case studies that explore both well-studied and underrepresented regions and contexts.

With a focus on pluralism, tolerance, and post-national dynamics, A Companion to Religion, Politics, and Nation:

• Offers a fresh perspective on the global reconfiguration of religion's role in modern politics
• Examines the impact of national communities on religious practices and political behaviors
• Provides critical analysis of the relationship between domestic and international politics
• Features comprehensive case studies and cutting-edge research contributions

A Companion to Religion, Politics, and Nation is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in political science, religious studies, anthropology, and history. It is also a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and policymakers working in the fields of religion, governance, and international relations.

Table of Contents

Section 1: Religion, Politics and Nation: What do we know?

1. Liah Greenfeld, Boston University: Nation and Political Modernity

2. Jeffrey Haynes, London Metropolitan University: Religion and International Relations

3. Atalia Omer, University of Notre Dame: Religion and Nationalism

4. Mary Jo Neitz, University of Missouri: Religion, Nationalism and Gender

5. Lori Beaman, University of Ottawa: Religion, Law and Nationalism

6. Tariq Modood and Erdem Dikici, University of Britsol: Religion and Multiculturalism in Liberal European Democracies

Section 2: Religion, Nation and Populism

7. Michael J. Walsh, Columbia University, Sacredness of the Chinese Nation

8. Gregory J. Goalwin, Aurora University, The Role of Religion in Nation-building: Turkey and Ireland

9. Pal Kolsto, University of Oslo/ Marlene Laruelle, George Washington University, Orthodoxy and Nation-building in Russia

10. David Borabeck, University of Oxford, How Much Religion in the Jewish Nation-State? - finalized

11. Babacar Mbengue, DePaul Univeristy, Religion and Ethnicity in Contemporary Senegal

12. Takashi Kibe, International Christian University, Religion and Secularism Paradox in the Building of the Japanese Nation

13. Joanildo Burity, Joaquim Nabuco Foundation, Evengelicals: Populist of Inter-nationalist? Exploring Latin American and Brazilian Connections

Section 3: Tolerance, Religious Freedom and Human Rights

14. Roshan Jahangeer, York University: Women and Laicite in France

15. Terrence Johnson, Harvard Divinity School, Race, Religion, and American Nationalism

16. Betül Yarar, Universität Bremen, Women Bodies and the Turkish Nation

17. Vrinda Narain and Asma Hamam, McGill University – Nationhood, Equality and the Hijab

18. Thomas Sealy, Religion and Multiculturalism in Liberal European Democracies

Section 4: Globalization and Postnationalism

19. Victor Roudometof, University of Cyprus, Global Orthodoxy or Postnational Orthodoxy

20. Oliver Scharbrodt, Lund University, Transnational Shia Network and the Islamic Republic of Iran

21. Peter Phan, Georgetown University: The Catholic Church in the Globalized World: From Vatican II to Fratelli Tutti

22. Vinicius Rodriguez: Religion and Market

23. Farida Fozdar and Adam Possomai : Religion and Postnationalism

Jocelyne Cesari is the Chair of Religion and Politics at the University of Birmingham (UK), Research Professor at Ben Gurion University in the Neguev, and a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. From 2018 to 2024, she was the inaugural T. J. Dermot Dunphy Professor of Religion, Violence, and Peacebuilding at Harvard Divinity School. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs and the Royal Society for Arts in the United Kingdom. Her most recent book is We God's Nations: Political Christianity, Islam and Hinduism in the World of Nations (2022).