Politicization of Religion and the Power of State, Nation, and Faith: The Case of Former Yugoslavia and its Successor States

There is a great difference between a war being categorized as "religious" and religion being politicized for the purpose of achieving a political goal. However it can at times be hard to tell difference between the two. It can be especially hard to do so when the difference between "pretend to be" and "is" is obscured almost to a point beyond recognition. In the volume one,we analyze the mass production and use of counterfeit religious symbolism used for political purposes. In volume two of this book we focus more on the actual practical application of the symbolism within the context of state, nation and faith: the use of counterfeit religious symbolism to blur the essential distinction between "what is a real danger to a nation" and "what is not." Contents Foreword – A Note on Sociology; Keith Tester Preface; Gorana Ognjenović and Jasna Jozelić 1. Introduction; Gorana Ognjenović and Jasna Jozelić 2. Politicization of Religion, the Case of Bosnia-Herzegovina; Jasna Jozelić 3. Was the Bosnian War (1992-1995) a Full-fledged Religious War?; Sergej Flere 4. The Role of the Catholic Church in the Bosnian Conflict 1991-1995, An Historical Approach; Clemens Cavallin & Sead S. Fetahagić 5. Politicization of Religion in Former Yugoslavia: the Case of the Evangical Protestants?; Kosta Milkov 6. Ecclesiastical Involvement in Serbian Politics: Post-2000 Period; Milan Vukomanović 7. The Political Dynamics of Intra-Orthodox Conflict in Montenegro; Kenneth Morrison and Nebojša Čagorović 8. The Separation between Church and State in Slovenia: A Political Fiasco; Srečo Dragoš 9. Religion and Politics in Kosovo; Anton K. Berishaj Conclusion There is a great difference between a war being categorized as "religious" and religion being politicized for the purpose of achieving a political goal. However it can at times be hard to tell difference between the two. It can be especially hard to do so when the difference between "pretend to be" and "is" is obscured almost to a point beyond recognition. Volume one analyzes the mass production and use of counterfeit religious symbolism used for political purposes. Volume two of this book focuses more on the actual practical application of the symbolism within the context of state, nation and faith: the use of counterfeit religious symbolism to blur the essential distinction between "what is a real danger to a nation" and "what is not." There is a great difference between a war being categorized as 'religious' and religion being politicized for the purpose of achieving a political goal. However it can at times be hard to tell difference between the two. This text analyses how this phenomenon has been - and still is - practiced in South-Eastern Europe (Ab)use of religion as a political means to an end: the achievement of nationalist political goals, analyzing 'how' through which mechanisms this phenomenon has been and still is practiced in South-Eastern Europe.