Critical Theory of Religion

The application of Critical Theory to religion—examining how religious beliefs and institutions are shaped by power, how they can serve domination or liberation, and how they might be transformed. Critical Theory of Religion asks: How has religion justified hierarchy? How has it inspired resistance? What interests are served by religious narratives? Drawing on Marx ("opium of the people"), the Frankfurt School, and liberation theology, it insists that religion is never just faith—it's politics, culture, power. Understanding religion requires understanding the society that produces it—and imagining religion otherwise requires imagining society otherwise.

"Religion is just private belief, they say. Critical Theory of Religion asks: private for whom? Religion has justified empires, fueled revolutions, shaped laws. It's never just private; it's always political. Critical theory doesn't dismiss religion but asks: whose interests does it serve? Could it serve liberation? The question isn't whether you believe; it's what your belief does in the world."

Critical Theory of Religion by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 4, 2026