ABSTRACT
The main challenge for political science research is to treat such parties with the kind of politically detached attitude, as well as the conceptual and methodological tools, applied to parties. Similar debates surround the varieties of radical and extreme/populist rights taking into account their respective ideological and programmatic diversity beyond just their focus on immigration. The uptake of qualitative approaches has also become more common and has contributed to a better understanding of the Radical Right (RR) by providing more detailed insights into the kinds of people who join RR parties. The impact of religion on support for the RR has been for long understudied. The Christian religions were seen as antithetical to RR parties, whose ideology seemed at odds with the universalistic message of the Evangels, as well as the long-lasting links between the Church and with Christian democrat or conservative parties.
