Aim and Scope

The Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law is a quarterly, peer-reviewed publication issued in January, April, July, and October. The journal serves as a vital interdisciplinary forum for scholars and practitioners exploring the complex and dynamic intersections of religious belief, legal frameworks, and political processes within local and subnational contexts.

Our primary aim is to advance scholarly understanding of how religion shapes—and is shaped by—local governance, political mobilization, legal contestation, and community life. We are particularly interested in studies that examine the local arena as the crucial site where democratic principles, identity politics, legal norms, and socio-religious movements are actively negotiated and practiced.

The journal welcomes diverse theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions from across the social sciences and humanities, including but not limited to:

  • Political Science

  • Sociology

  • Legal Studies

  • Anthropology

  • International Relations

  • Communication Studies

  • Religious Studies

  • Social Network Analysis

  • Public Policy and Administration

Scope and Key Themes:
The journal publishes original research, critical theoretical analyses, and comprehensive literature reviews that address topics such as:

  • Grassroots Politics and Religious Mobilization: Social movements, civic engagement, and political activism driven by or responding to religious identities and discourses at the local level.

  • Subnational Governance and Decentralization: The role of religion in policy-making, public service delivery, and political authority within decentralized or federal systems.

  • Local Democracy and Pluralism: Challenges and innovations in managing religious diversity, conflict, and coexistence within democratic local communities.

  • Religion, Law, and Local Order: The interaction between formal legal systems, informal religious norms (e.g., adat, canon law, sharia councils), and local dispute resolution mechanisms.

  • Religious Populism and Local Power: The rise and impact of populist rhetoric and strategies that utilize religious symbolism in local political campaigns and leadership.

  • Local Identities and Spatial Politics: The construction of religious and political identities tied to specific localities, territories, and urban/rural spaces.

  • Technology, Communication, and Community: The impact of digital media and communication technologies on local religious-political networks and advocacy.

By fostering rigorous scholarly dialogue on these themes, the Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law aims to provide critical insights into one of the most significant arenas of contemporary social and political life.