Blessed and Bounded: Religion, Ethnicity, and the Rise of Nationalism
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 December 2026 | Viewed by 345
Editors
Interests: religion and nationalism; theology of national indentity; religion and populism; religious–secular collaborations
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite submissions to the Special Issue of Religions entitled “Blessed and Bounded: Religion, Ethnicity, and the Rise of Nationalism.”
In recent years, we have witnessed a renewed and intensified entanglement of religion and nationalism across diverse cultural and political contexts; a phenomenon thatoften manifests in forms of religious nationalism intertwined with populist discourses, the religious legitimation of political agendas, and the re-articulation of national identities through boundaries drawn against perceived “others.” Religion increasingly appears as a symbolic, normative, and mobilizing resource in both the historical formation of nations from ethnic groups and in contemporary nationalist movements.
This Special Issue aims to provide an interdisciplinary examination of the complex nexus between religion, ethnicity, and nationalism, and it seeks to explore both historical and contemporary uses of religion in defining national identity, as well as critical reflections on the normative implications of these processes. Contributions may address descriptive analyses of how religious traditions, narratives, and institutions shape identity formation, alongside normative debates concerning the relationships between religion, nationalism, and the secular state.
We welcome original research articles and review essays from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives including, but not limited, to religious studies, theology, philosophy, sociology, political science, history, and anthropology.
Suggested areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Theological foundations and religious narratives underpinning nationalist ideologies;
- The relationship between religion and ethnic, civic, and cultural conceptions of national identity;
- Religious elements in contemporary populist movements;
- The role of religion in the formation and transformation of modern nations;
- Religion, nationalism, and the challenges facing secular liberal democracies;
- Normative debates on religious pluralism, national identity, and state neutrality.
By bringing together diverse approaches and case studies, this Special Issue seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the enduring and evolving relationship between religion and nationalism in the modern world.
We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editors, Dr. Zoran Grozdanov (zgrozdanov@unizg.hr) or Dr. Nebojša Zelič (nzelic@ffri.uniri.hr), or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Ms. Evelyn Zeng (evelyn.zeng@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.
We look forward to your contributions.
Dr. Zoran Grozdanov
Dr. Nebojša Zelič
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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-anonymized 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
- nationalism
- religion
- ethnic belonging
- secularism
- secular state
- culture
- identity
- populism
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