Everyday religion and radical Islamism – a contribution to theorizing the role of religion in radicalization studies

Empirical data have indicated that radical Islamists often interpret their everyday life as embedded in religion. Nonetheless, the research field has at times tended to downplay the religious dimensions of radicalization processes. This paper aims to reinstate religion in analyses of radicalization by introducing the theoretical approach of everyday religion. By utilizing this approach, the paper argues that when religion, in the minds of radical Islamists themselves, has an effect on everyday lives and practices, then religion plays a substantial role in their radicalization process. The potential of the approach is illustrated through an analysis of interviews with former converts to radical Islamism.