TY - JOUR
T1 - The Roles of Religion in National Legitimation
T2 - Judaism and Zionism's Elusive Quest for Legitimacy
AU - Abulof, Uriel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Why and how do nations turn to religion to justify claims for statehood? This article addresses this question in both theory and practice, showing that religion plays multiple legitimating roles that shift dynamically according to the success they yield for national movements. I posit four legitimating models: (1) nationalism instead of religion ("secular nationalism"), (2) nationalism as a religion ("civil religion"), (3) religion as a resource for nationalism ("auxiliary religion"), and (4) religion as a source of nationalism ("chosen people"). Empirically, I analyze the roles of religion in Zionist efforts to legitimate a Jewish state in Palestine. I argue that Zionism has responded to persistent delegitimation by expanding the role of religion in its political legitimation. The right of self-determination, which stands at the core of the "secular Zionism" legitimation, has given way to leveraging Judaism, which in turn has been eclipsed by constructing a Zionist civil religion and a "chosen people" justification.
AB - Why and how do nations turn to religion to justify claims for statehood? This article addresses this question in both theory and practice, showing that religion plays multiple legitimating roles that shift dynamically according to the success they yield for national movements. I posit four legitimating models: (1) nationalism instead of religion ("secular nationalism"), (2) nationalism as a religion ("civil religion"), (3) religion as a resource for nationalism ("auxiliary religion"), and (4) religion as a source of nationalism ("chosen people"). Empirically, I analyze the roles of religion in Zionist efforts to legitimate a Jewish state in Palestine. I argue that Zionism has responded to persistent delegitimation by expanding the role of religion in its political legitimation. The right of self-determination, which stands at the core of the "secular Zionism" legitimation, has given way to leveraging Judaism, which in turn has been eclipsed by constructing a Zionist civil religion and a "chosen people" justification.
KW - Auxiliary religion
KW - Civil religion
KW - Nationalism
KW - Political legitimacy
KW - Religion
KW - Zionism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84927509384&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jssr.12132
DO - 10.1111/jssr.12132
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AN - SCOPUS:84927509384
SN - 0021-8294
VL - 53
SP - 515
EP - 533
JO - Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
JF - Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
IS - 3
ER -