ABSTRACT
Theories of religious identity in politics tend to manifest in one of two ways. First, they can argue that a particular religious identity group is different in some politically significant way from other groups. Second, they can argue that some phenomenon, usually conflict, is somehow different—more or less common, and weaker or stronger—when it occurs between religious identity groups as opposed to within them. This chapter considers both of these types of manifestations of religious identity in politics. Identity-based theories are among the most problematic in the literature on religion and politics. For example, should one identify a difference in the political behaviour of Muslims and Christians, identity provides a poor explanation for that difference. The chapter discusses first whether religious identity is unique, and how religious identity can become involved in politics, and then discusses several important aspects of politics that religious identity can influence: tolerance, democracy, conflict, and electoral politics.
