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Religions
Special Issues
Transitions of Islam and Democracy: Thinking Political Theology
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Transitions of Islam and Democracy: Thinking Political Theology

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1417

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ronen A. Cohen

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Israel and Middle Eastern Studies Department, Ariel University, Ariel 4070000, Israel
Interests: Shia Islam; political thought; Islamic philosophy; political and national movements

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of the strengthening of Islam that followed the shock waves of the Arab Spring, as well as the rise of Islamist movements all over the Middle East and European countries, the journal Religions is launching a Special Issue on the various configurations of the connection between religion and politics. For example, since 1979, Iran has presented a model of an ultimate and uncompromising combination of religion and politics; a decade later, in 1989, Sunni Algiers tried and succeeded to follow this path but only lasted a decade until 1999. With the fall of Saddam Hussein of Iraq in 2003 and the rise of Shiite forces, a dialectical struggle has arisen between forces that motivate religious participation (especially pro-Iranian forces but also local Shiite Iraqis) in politics and ones that seek to keep religion out of the political space.

We are honored to invite you to submit your research concerning religious issues and the transition between religion and democracy. Will Islam be able to coexist with democratic values? Will Islam be able to offer democratic values that do not exist in Western democracy? Moreover, of particular interest would be groundbreaking studies of religious writings and political–religious essays with the power to change political reality both in the country of origin and in different countries, but similar in terms of the corresponding religious values.

Prof. Dr. Ronen A. Cohen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • political Islam
  • political thought
  • Islam and democracy
  • Islamic philosophy
  • religion and state
  • Muslim state
  • Islamic constitution
  • political rights
  • political liberty
  • anocracy

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities
by Yael Keinan-Cohen, Gadi Hitman and Elad Ben-Dror
Religions 2025, 16(3), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030388 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 305
Abstract
This article traces the strengthening of Muslim movements in Jordan, emphasizing the period that marked the beginning of the regional upheaval (2011). It aims to examine whether and how this strengthening affected religious, national, and political identities. The article examines the interrelationships between [...] Read more.
This article traces the strengthening of Muslim movements in Jordan, emphasizing the period that marked the beginning of the regional upheaval (2011). It aims to examine whether and how this strengthening affected religious, national, and political identities. The article examines the interrelationships between the Hashemite regime and the Salafi movements in Jordan during and after the Arab Spring. This examination shows that there was a deterioration, aggravation, and erosion in these relations, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, also an understanding on the part of the regime that despite this the Salafis are interested in taking part in the Jordanian political game. In this discourse between the Salafi movements and the regime, we will also examine whether the movements sought to change the regime’s nature and, thus, the nature of society in Jordan from a Hashemite national identity to a Salafi identity. The article is based on secondary and primary sources that unfold a fascinating picture of dialectics and dialog between the ideological extremes of democracy and Islam. The main findings are that these processes, during and after the Arab Spring, tend to contain religious groups that will also participate in politics, out of recognition of the supremacy of the law of the state, which is not necessarily religious. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transitions of Islam and Democracy: Thinking Political Theology)
13 pages, 191 KiB  
Article
Islamic Discourse and Armed Resistance: Fatah’s Strategic Use of Islam in the Palestinian Struggle 1970–1982
by Ido Zelkovitz
Religions 2025, 16(3), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030298 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
This article examines Fatah’s strategic and ideological evolution during the 1970s and early 1980s, focusing on its adoption of Islamic discourse to strengthen internal cohesion and broaden its influence. It explores how this shift shaped Fatah’s political and military strategies, contributing to its [...] Read more.
This article examines Fatah’s strategic and ideological evolution during the 1970s and early 1980s, focusing on its adoption of Islamic discourse to strengthen internal cohesion and broaden its influence. It explores how this shift shaped Fatah’s political and military strategies, contributing to its identity formation and support within the Palestinian and Arab public. The findings underscore the role of ideological flexibility in navigating geopolitical dynamics and forging alliances with Islamist factions, including Hezbollah, highlighting the nuanced interplay between pragmatism and ideology in national liberation movements. The study focuses on understanding how Fatah’s adoption of Islamic discourse influenced its political and military strategies during this period. By incorporating Islamic myths and symbols, Fatah not only strengthened internal cohesion but also expanded its influence among young Islamists eager to engage in the Palestinian struggle. This research addresses the central question: How did the adoption of Islamic discourse shape Fatah’s political and military strategies during its transition from Jordan to Lebanon, and how did it contribute to the movement’s identity formation and its success in garnering support among the Palestinian and broader Arab public? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transitions of Islam and Democracy: Thinking Political Theology)
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