Religion and nationalism fuse when religious symbols represent the nation

Evidence

The term “fusion” of religion and nationalism that we use and that makes religious impact on state policies inevitable is similar to the term “intertwining” as defined by Brubaker (2012). It describes a relationship between religion and nationalism in which religion simply becomes so interwoven to the extent that the two fuse. This takes place when the boundaries of religion and nationalism coincide or when religion supplies “myths, metaphors and symbols that are central to the discursive or iconic representation of the nation” (Brubaker 2012, 9). — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 71

Categorization

• DEFINE: Operationalizes ‘fusion’ — the condition where religious content becomes state-relevant and religious impact on policy inevitable.
• XREF: connects to: Christian nationalism fuses ethnic, racial, and political hierarchy with religious identity — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 66; Religion and nationalism are fused throughout secular Zionism, not only in religious nationalism. — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized:…, 523; Secularist bias hid that nationalism and religion fused while remaining distinct — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized:…, 70 (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Distinguishes ‘full fusion’ nationalisms from mere religiously-inflected ones by whether religion defines the nationalism #expands (0.90) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 102
• Nationalisms vary in how fully religion defines them rather than merely residue #expands (0.85) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 102
• Religion and nationalism mutually constitute identity and resist clean separation #corroborates (0.80) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 292
• Religion fuses with nationalism only when it legitimizes actual state governance #qualifies (0.78) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 75
• Religious minorities become politically suspect when religion ties to national identity #expands (0.75)
• Nationalism’s borrowings from religion do not make religion its source #qualifies (0.72) — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 946
• Nationalism can overtake faith as a worldview while inheriting its exclusivity #qualifies (0.70) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 170