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Chapter 16 - Squaring the Circle

Four Cornerstones of a General Theory of the Relationship between Right-Wing Populism and Religion in the West

from Part V - Conclusion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2023

Tobias Cremer
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

Having taken the reader through the rapidly evolving political and religious landscape of three major Western democracies, in its two concluding chapters this book returns to the key questions raised in the Introduction. Thus, Chapter 16 moves from the specifics to the general and seeks to assess the insights from each case study from a comparative perspective, discussing common and distinct patterns. As it goes through each of the research questions it distils four conclusions that can serve as cornerstones for a more general theory of the dynamics between religion, populism and right-wing identity politics. The first is that right-wing populists’ success has often been a response to a democratic lack of representation of the new identity cleavage in the cases studied. The second is that right-wing populists’ references to Christianity is part of a new white identity politics, in which Christianity serves as a civilisational marker of belonging, rather than a source of religious believing. The third is that there is often a potential for religious immunity against right-wing populist appeals. The fourth is that the existence or strength of this immunity is shaped by the behaviour of mainstream parties and faith leaders who can play an immense role in shaping national populists’ ability to redefine and re-politicise religion in German, French and US politics.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Godless Crusade
Religion, Populism and Right-Wing Identity Politics in the West
, pp. 251 - 263
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Squaring the Circle
  • Tobias Cremer, University of Oxford
  • Book: The Godless Crusade
  • Online publication: 23 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009262125.021
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  • Squaring the Circle
  • Tobias Cremer, University of Oxford
  • Book: The Godless Crusade
  • Online publication: 23 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009262125.021
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Squaring the Circle
  • Tobias Cremer, University of Oxford
  • Book: The Godless Crusade
  • Online publication: 23 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009262125.021
Available formats
×