Governance Of Religion Research Articles

Diversities and dynamics in the governance of religion: inter-regional comparative themes

ABSTRACT Debates and controversies over the governance of religious diversity are important features of the social and political landscape in all five regions covered in this collection. All have historical as well as contemporary forms of these debates that have had a significant impact on not just the structures and forms of governance but also on the very identity of each state as it has grappled, and continues to grapple, with religious diversity and the issues it raises. This final contribution presents an inter-regional comparative analysis and findings of different modes of state-religion connections between our different regions, following on from the discussions in the individual contributions of the collection focused on intra-regional analyses. Moreover, central to state-religion relations is the idea of political secularism and so we offer a definition of political secularism from which we can compare countries and regions. We assess the idea of political secularism against our typology of modes of governance of religious diversity and explore convergences and divergences between our regions along three conceptual lines: the idea of secularism, the idea of freedom of religion, and the relationship between national identity and religion.

A secularidade organizacional pública e o campo religioso português reorientações e poderes entre Estado e religião (2001-2012)

Between 2001 and 2009, the Portuguese religious field faced a sequenced reconfiguration which put its power structure in perspective. Two decades after the institutionalization of the Committee on Religious Freedom, the redefinition of the relationship between the secular and the religious summoned a debate on the relationship between the State, religious traditions and organizational secularities. In this article, the case of healthcare, namely the governance of religion in hospitals, interrogates the religious field from the standpoint of a public-biomedical secularity regime

Changing socio-religious realities: Practical negotiation of transitions in the governance of Religion or Belief, State and Society

Changing socio-religious realities: Practical negotiation of transitions in the governance of Religion or Belief, State and Society

Limitations to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Indonesia: Norms and Practices

Abstract The landscape of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Indonesia has been shaped by two elements: first, the progressive adoption of human rights in the new laws and amended constitution, as a result of the democratization which started in 1998; second, the old governance of religion which acknowledges limited religious pluralism and emphasizes harmony over freedom. A striking feature resulting from this combination is the addition of “religious values” as a ground of FoRB limitation in the new chapter on human rights in the amended Constitution, which otherwise draws its inspiration from the ICCPR and other international human rights covenants. Indonesian “public order” and “public morals” are understood to consist of, among other things, respect and protection of religious values. While the emphasis on religious values and public order produces most restrictions, when it comes to limitations to FoRB on grounds of public health, the government seems reluctant to impose necessary restrictions.

Who governs? Religion and order in postcolonial Africa

This article explores how mutually productive intersections between religion and governance constitute international political order in sub-Saharan settings. Asking ‘who governs’, I propose religion–governance entanglement as a means of analysing these intersections and rethinking governance, order and religion in Africa. Existing literatures typically characterise the public reliance on religious actors and institutions as being part of a uniquely ‘post-secular’ moment in contemporary world politics or a wider ‘post-Westphalian’ shift in modern governance. Enduring dynamics between postcolonial states and the Global North problematise these framings. In sub-Saharan Africa, religion has a protracted history in postcolonial hybrid governance, overlapping the regional presence of international non-govermental organisations following decolonisation. Using the example of South Sudan, I build on recent analyses of religious-political activities that leave their collective implications under-theorised.

Interreligious relations and governance of religion in Europe: Introduction

In recent years, the growth and expansion of interreligious initiatives have received increasing scholarly attention worldwide, and interreligious actors and repertoires are gaining relevance within emerging governance regimes of religious diversity in Europe and beyond. However, empirical research in this field is still very limited. With the aim to fill this gap, this special issue gathers four original contributions aimed at critically describing, understanding and reflecting upon the rise of the ‘interreligious sector’ and its growing relevance to the governance of religious diversity in contemporary Europe.

Facilitating Political Stability: Cohabitation of non-legalistic Islam and the Moroccan monarchy

Focusing on the role of non-legalistic Islam (Sufism and popular Islam), this paper aims to provide an explanation for the distinctness of Morocco defined by increasing political stability and decreasing group grievances, contrasting with the situation in other countries of North Africa. Based on fieldwork carried out in March 2015, this study employs segmentary theory and the “Governance of Religion” approach in constructing an analytical model explaining cohabitation between the Moroccan monarchy and actors of non-legalistic Islam. Results of the research reveal that 1) actors of non-legalistic Islam in Morocco, though representing a variety of organizational structures and political orientations, can be divided into two groups: traditional vs. reformed non-legalistic Islam. 2) This religious distinction is important politically. For example, actors of traditional non-legalistic Islam can provide social services in the Moroccan periphery or create a background for regional “religious diplomacy”. However, they are not able or willing to include members of the wider society. In contrast, actors within reformed non-legalistic Islam aim to mobi-lize new followers for political causes. 3) Consequently, the Moroccan monarchy seems to apply various governance tools in regulating or co-regulating these actors; these tools include, among other things, direct funding, the co-optation of leaders, and sanctions. Analysis shows that actors representing non-legalistic Islam are engaged in the social life of the country and that this engage-ment results in cohabitation with the Moroccan monarchy. As this paper argues, this cohabitation facilitates political stability and prevents an increase of group grievances.

The Tunisian Revolution & Governance of Religion

This article examines how the Tunisian revolution and subsequent political transition has influenced the relationship between state power and Islam. It aims to provide an in-depth and historically informed analysis of these relations through an exploration of one specific case: The attempts by successive Ministers of Religious Affairs to reform the state’s management of Tunisian religious institutions after January 2011. The article builds on multiple fieldwork visits to Tunisia by both authors, in addition to an extensive set of primary and secondary sources. The authors argue that relations between state and religious authority have changed considerably throughout the 2011–2015 period, and that a wide variety of actors, interests and political conflicts intersected with the question of state-religion relations. The fact that non-Islamist actors played such a crucial role in shaping the governance of Tunisian religious institutions underlines the necessity for scholars to give more attention to the role non-Islamist actors play in the institutionalization of public religion in Arab and Muslim majority countries.

The governance of religion and law: Insights from the prohibition of usury

Religion and law are often portrayed as belonging to different, isolated spheres and as conflicting with each other, especially with regard to the process of governing today's global economic and political affairs. The portrayal and handling of such conflicts are especially reflected in media reports and are ultimately part of the public debates that precede legislative action dealing with a great variety of legal issues, including, but not limited to, sumptuary laws, the wearing of the headscarf and other apparel in public, the acceptance and application of a cultural defense in criminal law, and the exclusion of various cultural products, such as food, beverages, or motion pictures, from international trade. This article argues against this dominant perception, positing that religion and law are instead complementary and merely operate at different levels of perception, effectively pursuing the same purpose. Therefore, it is advocated that greater caution or a so-called “precautionary principle of incom...

When women gather: The NGO forum of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995

This article discusses logistics and views about the operation of and events at the Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) Forum of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. The last-minute shift to meeting space in Huairou outside of Beijing and the changes in requirements for attendance were obstacles to many NGOs and their representatives. A Hong Kong group distinguished between independent NGOs and government-organized NGOs such as the Chinese All Womens Federation. Japan and the US had the largest delegations of about 7000 participants. A small number of participants at the NGO Forum were men. The most obvious men were Chinese security officers Muslim men abortion opponents Chinese peddlers and Libyan activists demonstrating for political causes. American newspapers reported conference attendance ranging from 23000 to 45000 and 4750 official delegates representing over 180 countries. The gathering was the largest ever devoted to women. This article addresses several themes occurring throughout the conference: human rights and legal rights spirituality and religion governance and politics economics peace and human security the media race and ethnicity education health the environment and science and technology. Prior conference activity resulted in the preparation of position papers and agendas in the focus on thinking globally and in the formation of coalitions. The conference process of sharing exchanging and uncovering information on strategies problems and possibilities at governmental and NGO levels provided ample options for initiating social changes. The refusal of the US to ratify the convention against the discrimination of women drew attention to a key issue. Alliances were formed and attention focused on the needs of Chinese women. The Forum newspaper summed up the conference outcome best as the "UN talks and the Forum acts."