The overarching focus in the research agenda of R4SS is the role of religion in its diverse perspectives: politics, politicians, governments, and civil authorities at the (inter)national, regional and local levels; it focuses on law (religious freedom, migration law); history; education; political parties; faith communities (their contribution to a sustainable society, religion in the public domain); sustainable development; and human rights.
In the coming years, R4SS focuses on the role of religion in a diversified and sometimes unstable Europe. The European Union started from a Christian vision and legitimized, as a religious narrative, the foundation of Europe. More than six decades later, Europe exists as a mainly economic community in a post-Christendom era under a secular canopy.
Recent developments, as result of the invasion in Ukraine, demonstrate not only an accelerated turn towards a more united and stronger political and military European Union but moreover a confrontation with the religious narrative of authoritarian Russia. This raises the question about the identity of the European Union as a world power, especially how its political identity connects to (a)religious narrative(s). Since this research group not only focuses on Europe as such, but on its functioning in a global context, this topic is connected with the question of how other, non-European, powers use religion as a narrative to account for their global position, and how they connect religion with their political identity, be it democratic, authoritarian or otherwise.