From Global Solidarity to Sacred Borders: The Rise of Religious Nationalism in a Fragmenting World System

Abstract

The modern global politics has brought out an increasing conflict between transnational integration and fragmentation on the basis of identity. Although globalization was initially an assurance of a common future based on cooperation and interdependence, the recent decades have seen the renewal of religious nationalism in various parts of the world. This paper examines the mobilization of religious identity as a political/cultural asset in reaction to instability in the international system as it is seen. The paper uses the concept of qualitative interpretive analysis to explore the role of sacred narratives in creating a sense of national belonging, legitimacy of a state, and territorial imagination. It claims that religious nationalism is not an act in response to globalization but rather to the effects of globalization, which arose as a result of the fear created by the swift social change. With the moral authority of global institutions lost, they are looking to religious structures to make sense and bond together. It is a renegotiation of citizenship, sovereignty and collective memory which are highly symbolic. The article places religious nationalism in a larger context of world-system fragmentation that is characterized by disparity, homogenization of culture and mistrust in institutions. Through the discussion of faith and nationhood amalgamation, the study shows that sacred boundaries are gaining more influence in shaping political life. Finally, the paper shows that the future of world order lies in the comprehension of the moral and identity-related aspects of modern nationalism.