Undivine Intervention: How Social Networks Mediate the Relationship between Religious Repression and Political Violence

Henne, Peter S.; Klocek, Jason

Abstract

A robust literature demonstrates a relationship between religious repression and political violence, but this research struggles to clarify the causal link between the two behaviors. Drawing on the relational turn in international relations, we argue that social networks remain an important but overlooked mechanism. Religious repression reduces social cohesion and weakens group leaders’ abilities to prevent tensions from spiraling into violence. We test this relational theory through a mixed methods approach. A parametric regression model for mediation analysis demonstrates that network effects explain part of religious repression's overall impact on civil war. A case study of Indonesia further corroborates our argument.

Citation

Henne, P. S., & Klocek, J. (2025). Undivine Intervention: How Social Networks Mediate the Relationship between Religious Repression and Political Violence. Conflict Management and Peace Science, https://doi.org/10.1177/0738894225133290

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 18, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Apr 27, 2025
• Publication Date: Apr 27, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 19, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 27, 2025
• Journal: Conflict Management and Peace Science
• Print ISSN: 0738-8942
• Electronic ISSN: 1549-9219
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0738894225133290
• Keywords: Civil war; Indonesia; religion; repression; social networks
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/46736408
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07388942251332901