ABSTRACT
Religion has had considerable impact upon politics in many regions of the world over the last few decades. The belief that societies would inevitably secularise as they modernised has not been well-founded. Technological development and other aspects of modernisation have left many people with a feeling of loss rather than achievement. By undermining 'traditional' value systems and allocating opportunities in highly unequal ways within and among nations, modernisation can produce a deep sense of alienation and stimulate a search for an identity that will give life some meaning and purpose. In addition, the rise of a global consumerist culture can lead to an awareness of relative deprivation that people believe they can deal with more effectively if they present their claims as a group. One result of these developments has been a wave of popular religiosity, which has had farreaching implications for social integration, political stability and international security.
