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Religions
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Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries
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Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2025 | Viewed by 8840

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniele Santarelli

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Arts and Cultural Heritage, The University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81055 Santa Maria Capua Vetere, CE, Italy
Interests: political and religious history of the early modern Mediterranean world; digital and public humanities
Dr. Lorenza Gianfrancesco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
History and Politics Department, University of Chichester, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 6PE, UK
Interests: communication; propaganda and dissent in early modern Italy and Europe; early modern Italian academies
Dr. Domizia Weber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Agrario Statale di Firenze, Via delle Cascine 11, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Interests: witchcraft and magic; Heresy and inquisition in early modern Italy; history of medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The focus of this Special Issue will be on the connections between politics and religion, starting from the evolution of the relationship between States and Churches from the late Middle Ages to the contemporary age, in a long-term horizon. This Special Issue will consider the religious crisis of the 16th century as an important watershed, which saw religious confessions, arising from the Protestant Reformation and alternatives to the Roman Church, fighting for their stable affirmation in European territories. If in the context of southern and Mediterranean Europe (Italy and Spain, in particular) the aspirations to freely live an alternative faith to the dominant Catholic one had to deal with harsh inquisitorial and political repression and vanished in a few decades, in the more general European context, the situations of religious matters were different: the outburst of religious troubles led jurists, political theorists and historiographers to reflect on the connection between religious unity and stability of the State and institutions which could no longer be considered essential. Practical reasons and the spread of a new awareness of the rights of minorities eased the birth of a new consciousness. Thus began a long and tormented process of reflection which culminated in the affirmation of the idea of religious freedom and tolerance, which constituted and still constitute a very relevant research starting point for political–religious historiography as well as for legal historiography.

Papers concerning the long history of this path will be accepted, as will ones concerning more specific and singular episodes or questions from the practical and theoretical aspects of the persecutions of Heresy in the late Medieval and early modern periods up to the twentieth-century reflections on religious tolerance and freedom.

Every possible interaction between the political and religious phenomena, including studies in the areas of freedom of religion or belief, non-discrimination, State/Church relations, confessionalization and secularization, also developed from comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives, will be considered.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors first submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor or to the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Daniele Santarelli
Dr. Lorenza Gianfrancesco
Dr. Domizia Weber
Guest Editors

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–religious conflict
  • tolerance
  • freedom
  • Heresy
  • persecutions

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 812 KiB  
Article
Understanding an Authoritarian Regime: The Varying Relations Between Religion and the State in East German Socialism, 1945–1989
by Jochen Töpfer
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1541; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121541 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 454
Abstract
The relations between religion and the state in the socialist-governed states of Eastern Europe in 1945–1989 are generally framed using the term “persecution of religion”. On the other hand, significant differences existed in the region, from limited freedom of religion in Yugoslavia to [...] Read more.
The relations between religion and the state in the socialist-governed states of Eastern Europe in 1945–1989 are generally framed using the term “persecution of religion”. On the other hand, significant differences existed in the region, from limited freedom of religion in Yugoslavia to a prohibition of religious practice in Albania. From the side of religion, these relations were significantly formed by the attitudes and activities of religious leaders. Which options were adopted by key religious actors in a political environment hostile to religion? What is to be learned about religion in authoritarian systems? This qualitative study draws on the case of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), governed in 1949–1989 by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. We studied professional biographies of prominent religious dignitaries and a comprehensive volume of files from the Ministry for State Security of the GDR in order to conceptualize their attitudes and activities according to a two-dimensional classification (towards the state and towards society), which enabled an overview of the range of their options, and identified the types of religious dignitaries in authoritarian systems. This analysis revealed that a variety of attitudes and activities of religious leaders existed in the GDR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)
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12 pages, 254 KiB  
Article
Giovanni Botero on Religion and Politics
by Xin Zhu
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1386; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111386 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 628
Abstract
Giovanni Botero’s political thought is significantly influenced by Machiavelli, yet it possesses its own distinctive features, particularly in its religious perspective. In contrast to Machiavelli’s condemnation of Catholicism, Botero argues that Catholicism, far from weakening individuals, could instill in them the courage to [...] Read more.
Giovanni Botero’s political thought is significantly influenced by Machiavelli, yet it possesses its own distinctive features, particularly in its religious perspective. In contrast to Machiavelli’s condemnation of Catholicism, Botero argues that Catholicism, far from weakening individuals, could instill in them the courage to defy death and foster military virtues through the promise of eternal life. While Botero agrees with Machiavelli that religion plays a central role in politics, he asserts that Catholicism is more effective than other sects as it is better suited to maintaining social order and disciplining the human conscience. However, he refutes the idea that religion should serve merely as an instrument of domination. Instead, he suggests that it should be the foundation of the state and the purpose of governance. Furthermore, he maintains that religion and the state are interdependent, functioning together to ensure the maintenance and strengthening of both. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)
14 pages, 331 KiB  
Article
Contributing to Public Deliberation by Religious Behavior: Beyond the Inclusivism–Exclusivism Debate
by Baldwin Wong
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101234 - 11 Oct 2024
Viewed by 634
Abstract
Recently, political philosophers have debated the role of religious reasons in public deliberations, such as appealing to religious convictions and religious classics. Exclusivists, such as Rawls, Quong, Hartley, and Watson, argue that democratic governments and citizens should restrict or exclude the use of [...] Read more.
Recently, political philosophers have debated the role of religious reasons in public deliberations, such as appealing to religious convictions and religious classics. Exclusivists, such as Rawls, Quong, Hartley, and Watson, argue that democratic governments and citizens should restrict or exclude the use of religious reasons in making laws and policies, while inclusivists, such as Gaus, Vallier, and Billingham, oppose such categorical exclusion. Nevertheless, the debate mainly focuses on the role of religious reasons in public deliberation. In this paper, I will argue that religious behaviors—defined as highly altruistic actions motivated by religious beliefs, such as dedicating substantial time and effort to serving the poor and advancing the common good—can exert positive influences on public deliberation. Through this kind of altruistic action, religious believers can subtly influence non-religious citizens. While religious believers may not rationally persuade non-religious citizens through religious reasoning, the altruistic actions exhibited by religious believers could emotionally inspire admiration and motivate non-religious citizens to learn more about those religions. This enhances mutual understanding among different religious and secular sects and thus improves public deliberation. Furthermore, I argue that the improved understanding fostered by religious behaviors can facilitate exclusivism and inclusivism to overcome certain philosophical challenges, such as the problems of incompleteness and anarchy, which are among the most frequent criticisms directed at exclusivism and inclusivism. Hence, this paper highlights an aspect overlooked in the exclusivism–inclusivism debate: no matter whether the democratic government and citizens should permit or restrict religious reasons, religious behavior is still beneficial in public deliberation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)
18 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Tolerance before Secularism: Models of Tolerance in Nineteenth-Century Arabic
by Wael Abu-ʿUksa
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1090; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091090 - 9 Sep 2024
Viewed by 826
Abstract
By analyzing temporal language, this study investigates the intellectual origins and the conceptual history of three concepts of tolerance that emerged in the Arabic context towards the end of the 19th century. The first is a philosophical concept that has evolved within the [...] Read more.
By analyzing temporal language, this study investigates the intellectual origins and the conceptual history of three concepts of tolerance that emerged in the Arabic context towards the end of the 19th century. The first is a philosophical concept that has evolved within the philosophical-rational tradition and has connections to the Enlightenment and liberalism. The second is a theological concept that advocates for a harmonious interpretation of all monotheistic religions based on the assumption that all monotheistic scriptures are true. The third is a legal Islamic concept that aims to preserve the traditional imperial and hierarchical Islamic system while addressing contemporary concerns related to citizenship and political affiliation. Tolerance is frequently examined within the research framework on secularity and secularism. Before secularism emerged as a holistic doctrine in Arabic (ʿalmāniyya), discussions surrounding tolerance were closely linked to societal and political principles, including civil equality, freedom of conscience, and the neutrality of religion in the public domain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)
17 pages, 305 KiB  
Article
Saving Sanctity: The Roman Inquisition and the Initial Prosecution of Girolamo Cardano
by Neil Tarrant
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1047; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091047 - 28 Aug 2024
Viewed by 901
Abstract
The impact of the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Reform movement on the ecclesiastical censorship of science, philosophy and magic has been an enduring theme in the historiography of early modern Italy. In this paper, I consider how the Church’s desire to defend the [...] Read more.
The impact of the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Reform movement on the ecclesiastical censorship of science, philosophy and magic has been an enduring theme in the historiography of early modern Italy. In this paper, I consider how the Church’s desire to defend the truth of miracles from Protestant criticisms on the one hand and their efforts to centralise the process of verifying miracles on the other affected the investigation of philosophical works. Taking the case of Girolamo Cardano, whose works were the subject of intensive investigation by the Catholic Church from the 1570s, I examine the issues that censors flagged as points of concern. One recurring theme was the fact that his accounts of the cosmos appeared to offer natural explanations for miracles and the actions of the martyrs. Although the intellectual problems raised by Cardano’s work were far from new, I suggest that the events of the sixteenth century raised their salience with Church authorities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)
11 pages, 195 KiB  
Article
Bringing Back God: Goldenberg and the Vestigial State in American Religion
by Cole Brent Cloyd
Religions 2024, 15(8), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080999 - 17 Aug 2024
Viewed by 684
Abstract
Naomi Goldenberg’s model of religion as a “vestigial state” is an excellent interrogation of how religion interacts with the state. To Goldenberg, religions traditionally functioned in the same manner as nation-states before being conquered and delineated as semi-autonomous institutions under the larger secular [...] Read more.
Naomi Goldenberg’s model of religion as a “vestigial state” is an excellent interrogation of how religion interacts with the state. To Goldenberg, religions traditionally functioned in the same manner as nation-states before being conquered and delineated as semi-autonomous institutions under the larger secular apparatus. However, I argue in this paper that Goldenberg’s “vestigial state” fails to account for the dynamism that religions have in their relationships to the state. I propose seeing religions as “alternative authorities”, which can be subordinate, cooperative, or hostile to the secular state. These perspectives as an alternative authority are seen best in the evolution of American fundamentalism and Christian nationalism, whose adherents have historically distinguished themselves from the state while simultaneously engaging in the effort to reshape it. In looking at how these movements develop, we understand that religions are constantly evolving in how to achieve and maintain power. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)
23 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
The Role of Black Christian Beliefs in the Civil Rights Movement: A Paradigm for a Better Understanding of Religious Freedom
by Darryl Dejuan Roberts
Religions 2024, 15(5), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15050527 - 24 Apr 2024
Viewed by 3528
Abstract
This paper builds upon and extends Christian and legal scholarship on the civil rights movement by illuminating a climate of religious freedom that served as a catalyst for and was integral to the success of the spirited activism of the civil rights movement. [...] Read more.
This paper builds upon and extends Christian and legal scholarship on the civil rights movement by illuminating a climate of religious freedom that served as a catalyst for and was integral to the success of the spirited activism of the civil rights movement. To date, scholars have not extensively considered how the expansion of religious freedom in church and state jurisprudence both directly and indirectly created a climate that contributed to the success of the CRM, and how advancements in civil rights impacted the broader revolution occurring in constitutional rights. The climate of religious freedom included court support for evangelizing in residentially exclusive areas, exemptions for conscientious opposers from participating in oath swearing and other ceremonies, and exemptions from other general laws that unduly inhibited the free exercise of religious rights. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: The uses of martyrdom works in Philip II’s Spain and among Elizabethan English Catholics with special reference to their Roman beatification cause
Author: Anonymous
Highlights: - mistranslations of English Jesuit martyrdom reports reveal the Jesuits’ uses of martyrdom accounts in different confessional settings to serve very different aims in different contexts. - self-censorship in Jesuits’ intelligence reports from the English Mission to fathers in Rome and Naples reveals a major structural weakness in the ‘impresa d’Inghilterra’.

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