Abstract
Populism frequently uses the visibility of religious majorities and minorities as polemically charged references in the political controversy about cultural identity. Visible signs are evoked as positive identity markers and representations of the fiction of a homogenous society. The visibility of religions coming from an immigration background is more likely to be attacked as an invasion of foreigners who do not fit in the frame of an imagined authentic model of cultural unity. As the debates on the construction of mosques and minarets in European cities show, Islam becomes a synonym of differences perceived as problematic. Depending on the political agenda, invisible and quiet religions are preferred to the visible and politically more demanding ones. However, the opinions for or against a high degree of visibility are not necessarily shared within the religious communities. Their members can ask for discrete individual practices or for a strong collective presence in the public sphere. Populist discourses try to argue against manifestations of ostentatious visibility and use this fight as a platform for identity-driven propaganda that is interested in the exclusion of those who are considered as the threat to the well-being of the “people”. The visibility of religion thesis has to be dealt with carefully in the context of right-wing populism because of the toxic effects of all kinds of identity politics in the political as well as in the religious sphere. The conventional implications of the public–private split must be rearticulated in a context in which secularism is challenged by the return of visible religion and by the emergence of political ideologies playing with the fire of strong and exclusivist identity claims that are in conflict with ideals of tolerance, pluralism, and diversity management.
Highlights
This essay explores some connecting lines between two phenomena that are already not easy to describe independently from each other, so it might be even more problematic to bring them together without having a robust working hypothesis for the start of the investigation
The conventional implications of the public–private split must be rearticulated in a context in which secularism is challenged by the return of visible religion and by the emergence of political ideologies playing with the fire of strong and exclusivist identity claims that are in conflict with ideals of tolerance, pluralism, and diversity management
What has been discussed during the last years as the populist challenge within liberal societies is mostly associated with the illiberal extreme-right protest against immigration, multicultural citizenship, LGBTQ rights, and many other characteristics of an open society
Summary
This essay explores some connecting lines between two phenomena that are already not easy to describe independently from each other, so it might be even more problematic to bring them together without having a robust working hypothesis for the start of the investigation. Whereas the abstract links between religion and populism can have many different dimensions and historical ramifications, the combination becomes an explosive cocktail in the rivalry for visibility in party conventions, election campaigns, protest marches, and other demonstrations with a high media exposure. Let us imagine a society in which religions considered as problematic by the majority do not disturb if they stick to a low profile and remain practically invisible They are accepted as personal beliefs and discreetly practiced rituals as far as they do not ask for a publicly visible, prestigious, or even publicly financed place of worship. When religions transcend the sphere of private practice and become political, they disturb the tacit arrangement of the public–private split and get into the focus of power conflicts This is exactly what happens when populists deal with visible religion as a potential ally or as an enemy. The combination of the political and the religious question is expected to make a contribution to political theory and to the study of religion as two relevant and sometimes intertwined factors even in secularized societies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
