Call for Papers – Religion and Populism in Asia: Institutional Contexts and Political Consequences

The intersection of religion and populism has emerged as one of the most consequential political dynamics shaping contemporary Asia. Yet despite growing scholarly attention to both populism and religion separately, our understanding of their convergence remains fragmented and theoretically underdeveloped. Existing research on religious populism suffers from three critical limitations. First, the literature remains heavily Western-centric, focusing predominantly on Christian-majority secular democracies while neglecting Asia's diverse religious and institutional landscapes. Second, while scholars document how populists mobilize religion, we lack systematic explanation for why such mobilization succeeds in some contexts but not others. Third, insufficient attention has been paid to the institutional conditions - particularly varying forms of secularism - that enable or constrain the convergence of religion and populism.

This workshop seeks to address these gaps by bringing together scholars examining the institutional, ideological, and social mechanisms through which religion and populism interact across Asian contexts. We welcome both theoretical contributions and empirical case studies that advance comparative understanding of this phenomenon. We invite papers addressing (but not limited to) the following topics relating to religion and populism:

(a) Institutional Configurations
(b) Legitimation Crises and Tipping Points
(c) Religious Nationalism vs Religious Populism
(d) Comparative Regional Dynamics
(e) Democratic Consequences
(f) Religious Actors and Strategies
(g) Methodological Innovations

Please submit abstracts of 300 words to sss-rpa_cpc@ntu.edu.sg by June 8, 2026.

Selected participants will present full papers (7,000-8,000 words) at the workshop. We particularly welcome early-career scholars and interdisciplinary perspectives combining political science, sociology, religious studies, and area studies. Accommodation for three nights and meals will be provided for the paper presenters during the workshop. Limited travel support may be available for selected paper presenters, subject to funding availability.

Conveners:
Francis K.G. Lim, Nilay Saiya,
Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, Yusri Supiyan (NTU),
Meredith L. Weiss (University at Albany, SUNY),
and D.B. Subedi (University of Queensland)