Religion, secularism and populism in contemporary Asia

Abstract

<p>In this chapter, we examine the relationship between religion and populism in Asia. We show that the current wave of right-wing populism in Asia, commencing around the new millennium, reflects a global trend towards religiously-driven right-wing populism. We show that populists in Asia are increasingly turning to religious content to redefine their populist political ideologies as well as actions. However, their ability to mobilize the emotional and moral content of religion is determined by a key structural condition: the degree of secularization and its discontents. We examine the relationship between religion and populism in three types of states: semi/non-secular, strongly secular and atheist. The religion-populism interface is strongest in non-secular or semi-secular states. In secular or atheist states, populists turn to other aspects of culture as an ideological and strategic resource to advance populism.</p>