Religious nationalism and religious governance: Overlaps and divergences. The case of Croatia

• Published in: Ethnicities Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 255 - 269
• Main Authors: Grozdanov, Zoran, Zelič, Nebojša
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-04-2024; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Catholics; Governance; Minority groups; Multiculturalism & pluralism; National identity; Nationalism; Political parties; Religious communities; Religious minorities; Religious movements; Social movements; Croatia; Religious diversity; religious governance; religious movements; religious nationalism; Croatia
• ISSN: 1468-7968; 1741-2706
• DOI: 10.1177/14687968231208267

In this article, we argue that the religious governance in Croatia was shaped by the specific position that was given to the Catholic Church in Croatia as the historical and moral guardian of the Croatian people. We describe how the fusion of religious and national identity occurred and how it was connected to the relationship between the Catholic Church and the political party that governed Croatia in the 1990s, as well as the relationship between the state and minority religious communities. The article also deals with the issue of whether religious nationalism, which is very strong at the levels of society and national self-consciousness, played any role in the governance of religious diversity and how it has influenced social movements that have reconfigured mutual recognition of different religious communities in Croatia.