Political science of religion
Encyclopedia
Political Science of Religion (also referred to as Politicology of Religion or Politology of Religion) can be defined as one of the youngest disciplines in the political science
s that deals with a study of influence that religion
has on politics
and vice versa with a focus on the relationship between the subjects (actors
) in politics in the narrow sense: government
, political parties
, pressure groups, and religious communities. It was established in the last decades of the twentieth century.
These fields of research are in constant development. Political Science of Religion is studied at almost all universities and political science departments in the US. American Political Science Association has a section “Religion and Politics”. In 2006, Georgetown University
established the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
as one of the first American university research centers devoted to issues surrounding the political science of religion.
In Europe there is a growth of this discipline and in the Balkans
and Eastern Europe
it was founded for the first time in 1993 at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Belgrade
, Serbia
http://www.fpn.bg.ac.rs/eng/pages/p_id1/o_p.html. Also, but this time globally, it was in Belgrade, Serbia, that the first biannual "Politics and Religion" Journal,http://www.politicsandreligionjournal.com/english/english.htm, was founded in 2007 and its first issue appeared in February ’07. It is published by the Center for Study of Religion and Religious Tolerance. Its spiritus movens and Editor in Chief is Dr. Miroljub Jevtic, professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Another journal called Politics and Religion, produced by Cambridge Journals, published its first volume in 2008.
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
s that deals with a study of influence that religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
has on politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and vice versa with a focus on the relationship between the subjects (actors
Actor (policy debate)
In policy debate, an actor is an entity that enacts a certain policy action. If a plan were to have the U.S. send humanitarian aid to Sudan, then the actor would be the United States federal government....
) in politics in the narrow sense: government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
, pressure groups, and religious communities. It was established in the last decades of the twentieth century.
Research areas
Its basic research areas are:- All aspects of religiousReligionReligion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
teachings and practices that have direct political contents and messages, such as religious understanding of government, powerPower (sociology)Power is a measurement of an entity's ability to control its environment, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to...
, political authorityAuthorityThe word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
, stateState (polity)A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
, political organizing, warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, peacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, etc; - All aspects of religious behavior and practice that don’t have direct political contents and messages but do have direct political consequences, such as building of religious edificesReligious architectureSacred architecture is a religious architectural practice concerned with the design and construction of places of worship and/or sacred or intentional space, such as churches, mosques, stupas, synagogues, and temples...
, pilgrimagePilgrimageA pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s, etc.; - Attitudes and positions of political subjects in the narrow sense towards religion and religious communities, such as that of political partiesPolitical partyA political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and pressure groups towards religion and religious communities; - Everything within apparently completely secular public behavior with no religious motives that causes religious consequences, such as an economic monopolyMonopolyA monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
achieved by a religious group within a multi-confessional society – it cannot but cause political consequences.
These fields of research are in constant development. Political Science of Religion is studied at almost all universities and political science departments in the US. American Political Science Association has a section “Religion and Politics”. In 2006, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
established the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs is an academic research center at Georgetown University in Washington, DC dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of religion, ethics, and politics...
as one of the first American university research centers devoted to issues surrounding the political science of religion.
In Europe there is a growth of this discipline and in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
it was founded for the first time in 1993 at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
http://www.fpn.bg.ac.rs/eng/pages/p_id1/o_p.html. Also, but this time globally, it was in Belgrade, Serbia, that the first biannual "Politics and Religion" Journal,http://www.politicsandreligionjournal.com/english/english.htm, was founded in 2007 and its first issue appeared in February ’07. It is published by the Center for Study of Religion and Religious Tolerance. Its spiritus movens and Editor in Chief is Dr. Miroljub Jevtic, professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Another journal called Politics and Religion, produced by Cambridge Journals, published its first volume in 2008.