Abstract
The marginalised research field of populism and religion has mainly focused on the positive aspects of how religion and populism can be combined with mutual benefits for both parties, whereas the critical potential and limitations that religion and theology pose to populist politics has often been overlooked. The following essay intends to contribute to the complex research area of religion and populism, by focusing on the negative side, that is, the incompatibilities of religion and theology with populism. It is suggested that the very nature of religious belief and theological convictions impose limits on their use in populist politics.
Highlights
The following essay on religion and populist politics is based on a puzzling observation
Why do populist leaders seldomly refer to religion in their public speeches, despite the enormous power religion could provide for their populist course? It seems that, despite the frequent and vague borrowings from religion by modern populist leaders, explicit references to theological doctrines are avoided
This is surprising if, according to the new visibility of religion thesis, religion has re-entered the public sphere in various new forms after a period of its assumed disappearance that was predicted by sociologists of secularisation
Summary
The following essay on religion and populist politics is based on a puzzling observation. Despite the frequent and vague borrowings from religion by modern populist leaders, explicit references to theological doctrines are avoided. This is surprising if, according to the new visibility of religion thesis, religion has re-entered the public sphere in various new forms after a period of its assumed disappearance that was predicted by sociologists of secularisation. One has to ask, what is the critical potential, and are there limitations that religion and theology pose to populist politics This negative aspect of religion and populist politics, I wish to argue, has often been overlooked. From a normative perspective, it will be argued that universal salvation religion’s moral teachings on charity cannot be reconciled with any forms of resentment and the friend/enemy dichotomy on which populist politics relies
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