Call for Abstracts



"The Christian Right in Europe: Movements, Networks and Denominations that endanger modern Europe"



Book Project (edited volume)



Submission deadline: 01.05.2021 (max 450 words)



Background

Ultra-conservative religious groups have experienced a remarkable comeback on the European continent during the last decade. Either fuelled by the expansion of politically oriented Evangelical groups and movements, by the hegemonic appeal of the U.S Christian Right or by the illiberal backlash of Catholic movements against Pope Francis, concepts like Christian Nationalism or Dominionism have regained importance in Europe. The rise of the far-right and the latest COVID19-protests in Europe have activated and politicised many religious groups and movements that aim to reshape the European continent's political and religious identity.



This edited volume explores movements, groups and denominations of the Christian Right in Europe by examining the political and religious influence that these groups are exercising in the individual countries and their effects on an international level such as on the European Union. This publication aims to close the existing research gap by collecting analyses that shed light on these developments across the European continent.



We seek contributions by academics and non-academics alike, that examine the role of the principal movements, networks, and denominations within a specific country in Europe and analyse how and to which extent they attempt to influence parties and governments or have recently succeeded in shaping public policies. This publication does not aim at providing primarily methodological contributions, but to give an in-depth insight into the topic that might be attractive to academics and interested persons alike due to the vivid and engaged narrative structure of the case studies.



Contributions focusing on Central and Eastern Europe as well as on Southeastern Europe are particularly welcome. At the same time, countries with a potentially low occurrence of Christian Right activities may be summarised into group profiles if deemed appropriate (e.g., Benelux, Scandinavia, Baltic States). Submissions that analyse the involvement of Christian Right groups on a European level, whether in the form of lobbyism organisations or euro-parties, are also encouraged.



Book chapters should include an overview of the state-church relationship in the specific country if available. They should describe the factors that shaped the political and religious developments and provide information on the size, power, and figureheads of these religious movements and groups. The contributions should also feature the particular religious convictions of the social groups under scrutiny, how they relate to the specific national context and point to narratives and strategies that are deployed to widen the groups appeal with religious and political constituents.



Provisional Timeline

The proposal will be submitted to Transcript Verlag / Columbia University Press that has indicated interest pending the selection of the contributions.



• Abstract and CV submission to the editor: May 1, 2021

• Notification of acceptance: June 10, 2021

• Draft chapter submission to the editor: October 15, 2021

• Final chapter submission to the publisher: April 1, 2022

• Tentative date of publication of book volume: End of 2022



Submission Requirements

Please submit abstracts in English of no more than 450 words (not including abstract bibliography), together with the author's CV to lomascolo@posteo.de.



On the Editor

Gionathan Lo Mascolo has studied Intercultural Theology at FIT Hermannsburg and Terrorism, Security and Society at King’s College London. He worked for several years as a reporter and producer on Religion and Politics in Europe and the Middle East and is a former UN advisor. He works as a research fellow within the Competence Network of Right-Wing Extremism Prevention in Germany.