5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

In an era defined by the rapid transformation and growing interconnectedness, the religious social movements stand out as one of the important influential forces. They not only shape societies and influence politics, but also redefine the cultural landscape. The religion has always played an important role in societal change, with its deep-rooted values and expansive networks. However, we are now witnessing a distinct and intricate interplay between faith and activism in the contemporary times. From the ascendancy of Evangelical Christianity in American politics to the resurgence of Hindu Nationalism in India and the Islamic revivalist movements across the Middle East and Southeast Asia, religious social movements are driving substantial shifts in the socio-political arena.

This session will comprehensively explore the diverse religious social movements that have surfaced in contemporary times, scrutinizing their genesis, process and consequences. The proposed session invites papers from various scholars working on these aspects which will thoroughly examine the interaction of religion, politics, and social change while spotlighting both global and local movements.

The objectives of the session are to explicate the factors driving the genesis of religious social movements in contemporary times; to explore the social, political and cultural impacts of these movements and to foster a discussion on the trajectory of religious social movements in the discipline of sociology of social movements.