Inspiring People
Jason Klocek
Exploring how religion shapes contentious politics
Dr Jason Klocek is an Assistant Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations. His research and teaching explore the intersection of violent conflict, peace building processes, and political repression, with particular attention to the role of religion
A core aim of my research is to challenge common assumptions about how religion shapes resistance, war, and peace.
How would you explain your research?
My research explores how religion shapes contentious politics, with two main lines of inquiry.
First, I examine the intersection of armed conflict and state coercion. My current book project investigates how political officials interpret and respond to religious rebellions, focusing empirically on British counterinsurgency wars in the early postwar period. A recent co-authored article in Conflict Management and Peace Science highlights how religious repression can fuel political violence by disrupting social networks. Another article, selected as the 2023 Nils Petter Gleditsch Journal of Peace Research Article of the Year, analyses why regime transitions often exacerbate discrimination against religious minorities, with a focus on the Arab uprisings.
Second, I investigate how religion influences civil resistance and peace processes. Ongoing work uses survey experiments to assess how the religious identity of protesters shapes public support for their actions. In collaboration with the U.S. Institute of Peace, I have also published policy reports and produced resources that explore the roles of religious leaders and communities in advancing nonviolent movements and peacebuilding initiatives.
What inspired you to pursue this area?
My entry into the study of religious conflict and peacebuilding coincided with the events of 9/11, though they were not the catalyst. This interest stemmed from a long-standing fascination with sacred spaces and rituals, which took concrete shape during my studies at the University of Notre Dame—particularly under the mentorship of Rev. David C. Burrell, C.S.C. from Notre Dame, I was fortunate to enjoy several stints abroad that brought me into deeper conversation with diverse minority religious communities, especially in Turkmenistan and Greece.
Those formative experiences sparked a distinct set of questions, diverging from those pursued by others in the emerging fields of religious conflict and peacebuilding. Whilst many have focused on how religious ideas and identities fuel conflict, my work has centred on why that perception dominates and how it shapes state responses to religious uprisings. Whilst others have highlighted how religious repression heightens conflict risk; I have explored the inverse dynamic—how religious conflict can provoke further repression. And whilst the role of religious peacebuilding has gained recognition in recent years, I have joined a growing cohort of scholars cautioning against viewing it as a silver bullet, instead investigating when and how religious communities can effectively support peacebuilding goals.
How will your research affect the average person?
A core aim of my research is to challenge common assumptions about how religion shapes resistance, war, and peace – ideas that influence everything from media narratives to government policy. Does religion truly fuel conflict? Are armed groups motivated by faith really harder to engage with, or do such perceptions limit opportunities for dialogue? And when societies rebuild after war, should governments involve religious communities more closely—or keep them at arm’s length? By prompting reflection on these questions, I aim to help the public, policymakers, and practitioners see religion’s role with greater nuance, resisting the easy tendency to view it as purely divisive or peaceful.
A second, more practical goal is to improve how we respond to and recover from religiously-linked violence. By developing evidence-based tools and frameworks—such as the Strategic Religious Engagement Evaluation Toolkit (StREET), which helps organisations assess the impact of faith-based peacebuilding—I work to translate academic insights into practical guidance. Over time, I hope this can lead to more effective peace efforts, better-informed policies, and ultimately safer and more resilient communities shaped by understanding rather than fears and misperceptions.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Two pieces of advice from my early mentors continue to echo in my mind—counsel I have tried, however imperfectly, to live out.
First, prioritise becoming a researcher who thinks well, rather than one who churns out rapid results. Academic life often pressures scholars toward quantity over depth, yet substantial research and fulfilling progress demands cultivating habits of careful attention, honest self-questioning, and intellectual humility. Research, at its core, pursues genuine understanding rather than prefabricated answers; it compels us to interrogate entrenched assumptions, including our own blind spots and limitations, fostering a patient craft of inquiry that yields lasting insights.
Second, recognise that research remains accountable to real communities of practice, not merely the academy. Stay deeply embedded in these communities—whether faith traditions, policy circles, and/or grassroots networks—since scholarship thrives as a communal endeavour, not a solo act. This rooting ensures our work serves real-world needs, connecting abstract theory to the realities of lived experience.
What’s the biggest challenge in your field?
One of the biggest challenges for scholars of religion and politics stems from the very success of the subfield. There is no longer a pressing need to persuade colleagues in other areas, or policymakers, that religion matters. Events over the past two decades, together with a rapidly expanding body of research, have already made this case convincingly.
However, far less consensus exists on how to deepen and extend our understanding of religious conflict and peacebuilding. Existing studies too often remain narrow in the questions they pose and the answers they provide. Rather than merely asking whether religion fuels conflict, more compelling inquiries could centre on the diverse ways it shapes when, where, and how combatants fight. Similarly, while we have documented religious communities' contributions to peacebuilding, we still lack insight into the conditions that enable or hinder those efforts. This agenda demands more than proving religion matters—it requires innovative conceptual and methodological approaches, creating exciting opportunities for scholars at all stages of their careers.