RELIGION AS A SOURCE OF PEACE OR CONFLICT IN BALKAN POLITICS: AN ASSESMENT

Abstract

Although scholars converge on the importance of religion in Balkan politics, theydisagree on its exact role. Based on the activities of some religious groups incountries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, some observers consider religion to have adivisive and centrifugal effect on the Balkan people. Another line of argument,however, states that religious actors can help prevent or mitigate conflicts in theregion. Although further research is necessary for conclusive remarks, this studyargues that both sides have validating points to their claims. Data from WorldValues Survey and other available research on the region affirm the general stancethat religion constitutes a significant factor in the lives of Balkan people andpolitics, and cannot be easily dismissed as irrelevant. The importance attributed toreligious institutions and leaders also make them likely candidates for promotingpeace in the region. Whether religious leaders and institutions have used their fullpotential to date or not, however, remain questionable, and needs explanation.Given the complex effect that religion seems to have on Balkan politics, and itsrising importance as an explanatory variable in the contemporary IR literature, it islikely to retain its focal position in Balkan studies for the foreseeable future.