A Religious Awakening: Faith-based Responses to the Rise of Illiberal Nationalism
Across the globe, appeals to tribalism and xenophobia are gaining strength. Moderation seems to have faded from many political systems across the globe. There is a serious diminution of trust in democratic institutions to address the challenges of this century and a corresponding willingness to support alternative political systems. As a 2017 Pew survey reveals, “… large numbers in many nations would entertain political systems that are inconsistent with liberal democracy.”
Tobias Cremer, advisor to the German Parliament, the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Foreign Office's strategic communication unit, is completing his doctorate at Cambridge with doctoral research focusing on the relationship between religion and the new wave of right-wing populism in Western Europe and North America. He is co-authoring a book on the subject to be published by Notre Dame Press. In particular, the project aims to understand the ways in which traditionally secularist right-wing populist parties are seeking to employ Christian symbols and language as cultural identity markers, and how believers and Church authorities are reacting to such co-optation attempts. Prior to coming to Cambridge Tobias was a McCloy Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and received his B.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Sciences Po Paris and an MPhil in Politics and International Studies from Cambridge.
Dinner will be served.