Mediation Perspectives: Trump, the Bible, and the Instrumentalization of Religion

Author(s): Owen Frazer
Series: CSS Mediation Perspectives
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Publication Year: 2020

At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in the US, President Trump held a photo op with a bible in front of a church. Several political and religious leaders criticized his instrumentalization of religion. In this post for CSS Blog's "Mediation Perspectives" series, Owen Frazer discusses reactions to this event. He argues that the incident illustrates how accusations of instrumentalization are likely to be perceived as politically partisan statements. He suggests that mediators should suspend judgements about whether politicians are instrumentalizing religion and rather seek to engage seriously with the concerns of people who are mobilized by appeals to religion.

Publisher's Website