Religion

Religion has long been considered an effective instrument of governance and social control: Religion can uphold the authority of leaders, bolster the dictates of morality, and contribute to the formation of collective identity. The two primary roles of religion in governance, therefore, are the production of belief and the distribution of services. Along with facilitating governance, it has also long been recognized that religion can produce fanaticism, fundamentalism, and sectarian division. In addition to the long-noticed effects of religion in creating belief, the recent resurgence of public religion has brought renewed attention to the role of religious institutions in administering public services.

While religion is notoriously difficult to define, we might isolate the following five general features: Religion is (1) a symbolic system that (2) instills durable human motivations by (3) codifying and explaining the order of existence (4) authoritatively and (5) beyond doubt. The system of meaning and belief codified in the doctrines of religion and reinforced through the practices of its observance present powerful motivation for the actions of human agents. Religion functions to insulate the beliefs it establishes from criticism. These features lead both to stability and instability. In the post-Reformation era in Europe, powerful and insular religious motivations often led to violence between the adherents of conflicting Christian doctrines. As the forces of globalization continue to bring the disparate regions of the world system into tighter connection, religious belief is again contributing to conflict.

The forms of liberal governance prevalent in the developed world are predicated on a sharp distinction between public and private life. Classically, liberalism consigns religion to a private realm and locates the affairs of state in the public realm. Nonetheless, it is [Page 822]widely recognized that there has been an ongoing global resurgence in public religion since the 1970s. Because of focus on the permeability between public and private administrative functions, governance scholars have a clear view of the impact of religion on administration. Along with the resurgence of religious symbolism in public life, religious institutions are participating in an increasing number of the functions of governance. In addition to expanding roles in education, child care, and elder care, religious institutions are increasingly participating in interest group politics, developing new media outlets, and contributing to the agendas of international development and human rights projects.