Confessional Illiberalism in Europe

Abstract

This article introduces the concept of confessional illiberalism and situates it alongside two other forms of illiberalism: prejudicial illiberalism and reactionary illiberalism. Confessional illiberalism emerges as a reactionary backlash against secularism and gender equality, drawing ideological inspiration from interwar fascism. It adopts a model of governance that fuses the state with religious intermediary organizations, such as churches and socially conservative advocacy groups. Whereas confessional illiberalism constitutes an epistemic rejection of modernity and aspires to a restoration of conservative traditionalism, prejudicial illiberalism originates at the individual level as a grievance and may escalate into a mass movement. Positioned between individual‐level prejudice and state‐level redemption offered by confessionalism, reactionary illiberalism entails a policy‐based pushback against the advancement of aspirational or ascending minority groups. Confessional illiberalism, by embedding itself within religious intermediary organizations and segments of uncivil society, cultivates a deep‐rooted institutional presence that becomes difficult to dislodge once it consolidates power.