ABSTRACT
In television coverage of major events and crises in Northern Ireland it is common to see Catholic priests and Protestant clergy moving in the background and making statements to the camera. In most local newspapers there are regular slots for articles and comments by religious figures. The churches are usually asked to send delegations to key processes of political consultation and they can be seen to-ing and fro-ing from parliament buildings in full clerical dress. When victims of violence are buried, it usually falls upon religious ministers to publicly interpret and try to make sense of the situation. In civil disturbances clerics have often been in the foreground of protest, for example, during civil rights marches1 or at Drumcree.2 Other clerics are regularly found attempting to foster conciliation and non-violence. These are not unusual sights. The presence of the churches in political and cultural life is a constant. It is the purpose of this chapter to establish exactly what kind of roles the churches play in politics and how significant these roles are.
