Identification of Cross-Country Similarities and Differences in Regulation of Religion Between 2000 and 2014 with Help of Cluster Analysis

Ettensperger, Felix; Schleutker, Elina

doi:10.1017/s175504832100033x

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 52 publications

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“…It also makes broader contributions. Many people are interested in the relationship between state and religion generally (e.g., Cokgezen 2022; Cosgel, Langlois, and Miceli 2020; Ettensperger and Schleutker 2022; Howe 2021; Mataic 2018; Schleutker 2021). Many more are interested in the situation of religious minorities, including Christians, who worship under heavy restrictions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economy of Shadows: The Effects of Restrictive Regulation on Religiosity in China

Francis-Tan

2023

Scientific Study of Religion

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Religion is permitted in China, but its practice is tightly regulated by the state. This paper uses individual‐level longitudinal data to investigate the association between religious regulation and religious outcomes in China. Measures of regulation are constructed from instances of state action against Christians as well as Christian perceptions of unfair treatment by the government. In summary, as regulation increases, an individual is less likely to identify with a religion and less likely to say that religion is important. For those individuals without religious identification in either wave, regulation is negatively associated with religious importance. Yet, for those individuals with identification in one or two waves, regulation is either unassociated or even positively associated with importance. These findings contribute to research on regulation of religion and religion in China. More broadly, they demonstrate the state can wield considerable power over people's private lives but also that this power has limits.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economy of Shadows: The Effects of Restrictive Regulation on Religiosity in China

Francis-Tan

2023

Scientific Study of Religion

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Political Survival through Religious Instrumentalism: Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazlur Rehman's Resistance to Madrassah Reforms in Pakistan

Shah

Qazi²

2022

Politics and Religion

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Pakistan has strived though unsuccessfully to introduce reforms into thousands of religious seminaries. Among the different sects of seminaries, Deobandi madaris which are mostly led by Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) have posed the greatest challenge. This paper seeks to analyze why and how JUI-F obstructs the state's attempts of convincing madaris for reforms. Based on the findings of elite group interviews and constructs of “elite instrumentalism” and “political survival theory,” this study argues that JUI-F has political interests, both strategic-cum-existential and tactical, at stake in resisting these reforms. This study of Fazlur Rehman's behavior vis-à-vis state's madrassah reform initiatives allows one to bring home the theoretical premises set by “political survival theory” and “elite instrumentalism.” Accordingly, JUI-F opposes madrassah reforms because the instrumental use of religion (madaris) has long been vital for retaining its political power which in turn has ensured party's political survival.

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With Friends Like These: Does American Soft Power Advance International Religious Freedom?

Zellman

Fox

2022

Religions

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The International Religious Freedom Act, passed by Congress in 1998, set international religious freedom promotion (IRF) as a core objective of American foreign policy. Although formally empowering the president to enact punitive sanctions in instances of extreme religious repression, IRF is primarily a soft power instrument, with the expressed intent to persuade rather than coerce states into greater respect for religious freedom. Nearly a quarter century since its enactment, however, religious discrimination has markedly increased worldwide. This paper therefore seeks to quantitatively evaluate the extent to which American soft power, measured via levels of popular approval for the United States in countries surveyed by various polling agencies from 2002 to 2014, has correlated with shifts in governmental religious discrimination (GRD) since 1998. We find that not only do higher levels of approval of the United States correlate with greater increases in GRD, but this effect is particularly robust in more democratic states, in which American soft power should presumably have a greater influence. These findings should be deeply troubling for IRF advocates, empirically validating prevalent concerns regarding the efficacy, priority, and viability of IRF as a foreign policy instrument.

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Identification of Cross-Country Similarities and Differences in Regulation of Religion Between 2000 and 2014 with Help of Cluster Analysis

Cited by 4 publications

References 52 publications

Economy of Shadows: The Effects of Restrictive Regulation on Religiosity in China

Economy of Shadows: The Effects of Restrictive Regulation on Religiosity in China

Political Survival through Religious Instrumentalism: Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazlur Rehman's Resistance to Madrassah Reforms in Pakistan

With Friends Like These: Does American Soft Power Advance International Religious Freedom?

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