‘Religious’ radicalism

This chapter provides an overview of some historical struggles against domination that are based in ‘radical religious’ communities. From indigenous peoples to Plowshare and Womanist activists, there is a considerable variety of people working together and drawing from their ‘religious’ faith to resist hierarchy and injustice. They also share many characteristics with their ‘non-religious’ counterparts. Yet what qualifies as ‘religious’ and ‘radical’ is very open to interpretation, and typical interpretations of ‘religion’ in particular often betray a colonial mindset which this chapter seeks to problematise. The chapter therefore introduces a deliberately broad range of examples including indigenous traditions, non-violent alternatives within dominant orders, and marginalised people organising new life stories. By presenting this sample and making the case for a wide definition of ‘religion’, this chapter raises questions about how analytical categories are conceived whilst also offering some reflections on different types of groups whose visions, practices, and holistic worldviews contest dominant orders.