Ordnungsvorstellungen von Gesellschaft und Religion

While the position of religion in modern society is a contested issue today, academic analysis focuses centrally on state institutions’ intervention in the religious sphere. A dimension that is often lacking is the perspective of religion as the central protagonist, while leaders of religious communities are accepted as normative multiplicators within their group and additionally influence wider parts of society. This study focuses on Albania, North Macedonia and Slovenia, and asks about the inner patterns of the attitudes of religious leaders towards their preferred societal order and the role of religion. Secondly, the potential for religiously motivated conflicts in society is explored within those attitudes. The study employs Q methodology and includes 90 interviews with religious leaders. It identifies a high level of integrative potential, but also a wide range of opinions and specific conflict areas. The author is a sociologist who focuses on mixed methods research, politics and religion.