Religious nationalism is the connection of nationalism with a certain religious faith, dogma and belonging. This connection can be divided into two aspects: the politicization of religion and the influence of religion on politics [1] .
In the first aspect, a common religion can be considered as a way of forming a sense of national unity, a universal connection between citizens of a country. Another political aspect of religion is supporting national identity , like supporting a common ethnicity, a common language, or a common culture. The influence of religion on politics is more of an ideological nature, in which the modern interpretation of religious ideas affects political activity and activity. For example, laws are enacted to tighten religious standards [2] .
Religious nationalism, driven by ideology , is not necessarily directed against other religions as such, but it can manifest itself in response to modern trends and also, in particular, to secular nationalism. Religious nationalism can undoubtedly be expressed as a component of secular nationalism. States whose borders are relatively recent or that have survived colonialism may be more likely to manifest religious nationalism, which can be considered a more true or “traditional” manifestation of national identity. Thus, the result of the Cold War was the global upsurge of religious nationalism, and post-colonial politics also became a difficult task (serious difficulties arose with development and had to face the problem of colonial, and therefore artificial, division of borders). In this scenario, a call for a national sense of Islamic identity, as in the case of Pakistan and Indonesia, can help resolve regional conflicts.
The danger lies in the fact that when the political legitimacy of a state is caused by the observance of religious doctrines, this may enable openly religious organizations, institutions and leaders to call for religion in a more "authoritative" way, more clearly introducing religious interpretations into political life. Thus, the call for religion as a sign of ethnicity opens up the possibility of the existence of more influential and ideological variants of religious nationalism.
Many types of ethnic and cultural nationalism include religious aspects, but as a sign of group identity, rather than an engine of nationalist demands.
Content
- 1 Christianity and nationalism
- 2 Islam and nationalism
- 3 Judaism and nationalism
- 4 Hinduism and nationalism
- 5 Other religious movements and nationalism
- 6 See also
- 7 notes
Christianity and Nationalism
Christian nationalists are more focused on domestic politics, such as passing laws that reflect their view of Christianity. In the United States, Christian nationalism is prone to conservatism . Characteristic radical forms of religious or church nationalism appeared in the right spectrum of the political field in various European countries, especially during the interwar period in the first half of the 20th century [3] .
One of the most radical forms of Christian religious nationalism has become Christianity - the belief that the Slavs can be exclusively Christians, and in case of rejection of this religion, they cease to be Slavs, for example, Bosnians who accepted Islam were considered by the Serbs as Türks [4] . Christianity was used as an ideological justification for the persecution of Bosnians during the wars in Yugoslavia [5] .
- In Poland, a characteristic feature of nationalism has always been fidelity to the Roman Catholic Church . Groups such as Poland’s National Revival use slogans like Wielka Polska Katolicka (Great Catholic Poland) and vigorously protest against the legalization of same-sex marriage and abortion [6] . Conservative religious groups associated with Radio Maria are often accused of adhering to nationalist and anti-Semitic attitudes [7] .
- Religious nationalism, characterized by common affiliation with Orthodoxy and the local Orthodox Churches , is found in many states of Eastern Europe and in the Russian Federation . Many Russian neo-fascist and neo-Nazi movements, such as the Russian National Unity , are calling for a stronger role for the Russian Orthodox Church .
Islam and Nationalism
- Pakistan. According to the theory of two nations, Pakistani nationalism is very closely connected with the Muslim heritage, the religion of Islam and pan-Islamism . It is also associated with awareness, as well as the expression of religious and ethnic influences that help shape national identity.
Judaism and Nationalism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and strict Judaism . Before the founding of the State of Israel, the religious Zionists were mostly stern Jews who supported the efforts of the Zionists to restore the Jewish state in the Land of Israel . After the end of the Six Day War and the capture of the western bank of the Jordan River (the Israeli name for this territory is Judea and Samaria ), the right-wing movement of the religious Zionist movement merged with Israeli nationalism and turned into neo-Zionism , whose ideology rests on three “pillars”: the Land of Israel, the Israeli people and the Jewish Thor’s law [8] .
Hinduism and Nationalism
Given the vast linguistic, religious and ethnic differences of the Indian population [9] , nationalism in India as a whole is not expressed as a separate type of nationalism. Indians form national identity through civic [10] and cultural nationalism, as well as the nationalism of a third world country . Some experts suggested that the modern form of Hindu nationalism, or Hindutva , was approved by the Indian People’s Party and the Union of Voluntary Servants of the Homeland , although most Indians do not support this trend [11] .
Other Religious Movements and Nationalism
On the Korean Peninsula, under the influence of Korean Catholic missionaries, Choi Jae-woo created the Tonhak movement, in which the Western teaching, which was preached by the missionaries, was condemned and, in contrast, a distinctive "Eastern teaching" was formed. In 1894, members of the movement staged an uprising in the province of Challado in southwestern Korea. The uprising, which was eventually crushed by Chinese and Japanese troops, claimed the lives of 300 thousand people. This is comparable to the millenarian uprising of the Taiping , whose leader Hong Xiuquan was also inspired by Catholic missionaries. The Tonhak movement subsequently served as a prerequisite for the formation of other religious nationalist movements in Korea [12] .
See also
- Political Science of Religion
- Theocracy
- Clerical Fascism
Notes
- ↑ Xypolia, Ilia. Cypriot Muslims among Ottomans, Turks and British (Neopr.) // Bogazici Journal. - 2011. - T. 25 , No. 2 . - S. 109-120 .
- ↑ Juergensmeyer, Mark. "The Worldwide Rise of Religious Nationalism," Journal of International Affairs , Summer 1996, 50, 1.
- ↑ Clerical Fascism in Interwar Europe . - Routledge, October 31, 2013. - P. 227–. - ISBN 978-1-317-96899-3 .
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Małopolska za życiem! | Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski - NOP
- ↑ Archived copy . Date of treatment February 6, 2006. Archived January 5, 2006.
- ↑ Adriana Kemp , Israelis in Conflict: Hegemonies, Identities and Challenges , Sussex Academic Press, 2004, pp. 314-315.
- ↑ India, a Country Study , United States Library of Congress, Note on Ethnic groups
- ↑ [3] , “BBC Article, India's model democracy”
- ↑ van der Veer, Peter. Religious nationalism: Hindus and Muslims in India. - Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1994.
- ↑ Jasper Becker. Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea . - Oxford University Press, 1 May 2005. - P. 78–80. - ISBN 978-0-19-803810-8 .