Monthly talk: Religion as an Instrumental Political Tool

Laura R. Olson (Clemson University)
Religion as an Instrumental Political Tool in the World Today
13.2.2020

Around the world today, strategic politicians are including religious symbols and narratives in their appeals for social cohesiveness—and in some cases, to create or reinforce social divisions. These politicians’ goals and methods vary cross-nationally depending on the type of relationship that exists between organized religion and the state. However, their rationale in using religion as a tool of instrumental politics is largely the same. Religion is an especially strong component of social identity. It values, imposes rules about how we ought to relate to one another, and helps us come to grips with where we think we fit in the world. Therefore, politicians who cast themselves as defenders—or enemies—of a particular religious outlook are succeeding in cementing the support of many people looking for certainty and traditionalism in an increasingly atomistic world.