Time and again, predictions of the withering away of both religion and nationalism have proved premature. These days, the two often march hand in hand, and in many countries around the globe, religious nationalism has emerged as a dominant political force. Such movements are sometimes regarded as fronts for something else: xenophobia; racism; economic anxiety. Yet, even if industrious politicians instrumentalize its motivating force, religious nationalism should be taken seriously on its own terms. The phenomenon has deep intellectual roots and a distinct approach to questions of political authority, state sovereignty and social morality. Analyzing these ideas is indispensable for understanding the phenomenon and the challenge it poses for liberal societies, let alone for confronting it.
Assaf Sharon is a professor of philosophy at Tel Aviv University and heads its PPE program; he is also a senior fellow at Molad: The Center for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy. He has been part of the peace movement for many years and has advised parties, politicians, and organizations in Israel. His articles have been published by the New York Review of Books, the Boston Review, and Liberties, among others. His forthcoming book, with Avishai Margalit, is titled On Manipulation. Sharon is currently a visiting fellow at IWM in Vienna.
Clemena Antonova, IWM Research Director of The World in Pieces, will moderate the discussion.
