Author Date

2026-08-18

Degree Name

Department

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

College

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

Defense Date

2026-04-01

Publication Date

2026-08-18

First Faculty Advisor

Douglas Atkinson

First Faculty Reader

Darin Self

Honors Coordinator

Celeste Beesley

Keywords

Religion, War, Propaganda, Domestic Politics

Abstract

How do individuals represent their religious beliefs in the political sphere? Is this impacted by levels of conflict in a given society? In times of war, people of faith often rally behind leaders and policies that diverge from the values upheld by their religious institutions. In fact, in many such cases, religious affiliation and church attendance are among the strongest predictors of support for these political actors.

This thesis examines two such cases where religious voters support policies that contradict the moral teachings of their faith, advancing a theory that a state’s appeals to religion can fundamentally reshape how believers understand and express their values. Chapter 1 analyzes Nazi Christian propaganda, demonstrating how the politicization of a cultural religion mobilized support for their regime and eroded Christianity’s moral foundations. Chapter 2 tests the limits of a state’s religious manipulation in a contemporary democracy by assessing whether Polish Catholics respond to religious framing in evaluating refugee policies in the Ukraine War.

Together, these chapters reveal that people of faith do not always draw on their moral teachings when making political judgments. They also highlight the consequences of this dynamic during war and reaffirm the urgency to understand religion’s potential to foster moral accountability in governance.