ABSTRACT
The basic argument of this book is that religious frontiers, when threatening, lead to the formation of a religiously based national identity. As identity is based largely on what distinguishes something from its primary “others,” religion enters into the equation only when the nation is significantly different from its neighbors in this arena. For the most part, this argument has been proven true. Through the in-depth examination of several key religious nationalisms, the historic role of religious frontiers in nation building has become clear. In addition, the examination of counter-cases allows the theory to be further clarified and strengthened. The previous chapter accomplished that goal. However, some clarification is still necessary. This chapter will begin by looking at the main theory and its general
applicability in the European context. It will then proceed to lay out several clarifying stipulations which serve to elaborate on the relationship between religion and modern nationalism. In doing so, the deviation of the various outlying cases (i.e., Portugal) will be explained. The chapter will then take a brief look at several of the competing theories that were discussed in Chapter two, such as modernization theories, explanations regarding the church-state relationship, and rational choice arguments. Thus, it will be possible to synthesize the findings of the various approaches into as accurate an understanding of religious nationalism as possible. To begin, however, we should take a step back to the general idea laid out in the earliest chapters.
