Tijdschrift voor Religie, Recht en Beleid

Samenvatting

This articles describes fear of religion from the perspective of cultural psychology. Four manifestions of fear of religion are identified: fear of religion = religious awe; fear of religion = fear of a taboo; fear of religion = fear of Islam; fear of religion = fear of abuse. It is argued that the four manifestations at least partially share a common root in societal developments. In the Netherlands, we have created a world-view that centers around the individual, and attributed the individual a role that is independent and dominant in relation to the environment. Traditional religiosity contradicts this world-view, and therefore elicits fear. Religion invalidates our self-image.