Religion as a Marker for Ethnic Groups in Conflict and of Political National Conflicts Cover Image

Religion as a Marker for Ethnic Groups in Conflict and of Political National Conflicts
Religion as a Marker for Ethnic Groups in Conflict and of Political National Conflicts

Author(s): Francisco Letamendia
Subject(s): Inter-Ethnic Relations, Sociology of Religion
Published by: Центар за проучавање религије и верску толеранцију
Keywords: Politics; Religion; Ethnic groups; Nation; Political conflicts

Summary/Abstract: The links between religion and ethnic and/or political dividing lines has manifested itself in many different ways in contemporary conflicts. In this paper I present briefly the following two forms: religion as a cleavage line of groups in ethno-religious confrontations: struggles between Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims in the Balkans; of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland; of Sunni and Shia and Iraq; of Buddhists and Hindus in Sri Lanka; of Muslims and Catholics in Indonesia; and religion as a mechanism for legitimizing power in the form of State Religions: National-Catholicism in Francoism, which is likely to generate the formation of the internal religious enemy.

  • Issue Year: XI/2017
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 125-143
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: English