Religion and Politics Summer School

Religion and Right-Wing Populism: Friends or Foes?

21 – 25 June 2021, Virtual event

Our Standing Group on Religion and Politics was delighted to host the first edition of its Summer School focusing on the role of religion in the global phenomenon of right-wing populist parties and movements.

This new category of party is marked by peculiar uses of religion and religious symbols, often different from that of ‘traditional’ religiously oriented parties. While in some cases populist positions and policies go hand in hand with those of religious institutions, in others – for example on the issues of immigration and protection of the environment - they can clash with these latter.

Understanding these phenomena is crucial, also considering that they overlap with other issues and concerns such as interreligious coexistence in increasing multicultural social contexts, human rights (and particularly women’s rights and LGBT+ rights), and social justice.

The Summer School provided the chance to:

• Learn about the relations between religion and politics in the contemporary world
• Get an opportunity to discuss your project with a specific instructor (one slot per participant)
• Benefit from a dedicated online platform featuring short, pre-recorded lectures, annotated readings, and exercises
• Earn 3 ECTS credits

Summer School Faculty

• Guy Ben Porat Ben Gurion University
• Isabelle Engeli University of Exeter
• Eva-Maria Euchner University of Munich
• Alberta Giorgi University of Bergamo
• Jeffrey Haynes London Metropolitan University
• Massimo Prearo University of Verona
• Kristina Stoeckl University of Innsbruck
• Sultan Tepe University of Illinois
• Scientific Coordinator: Luca Ozzano University of Turin