June 17, 2025
Faith and Fear of the Far Right with Kirsten Smeets | In a Nutshell
Why has the European far-right become increasingly popular? How do they use religion to shape their anti-immigration discourses? And what role does TikTok play in all of this? In today’s episode, Jara investigates what is behind the anti-immigration discourse of the European far right. Together with her guest, Kirsten Smeets, she will explore how opponents are created, why religion still plays a role in secular societies, and what makes the far right seem like an emergency break. Kirsten completed her PhD at Radboud University in the Department of Philosophy, Ethics, and Political Philosophy, and is now a lecturer at Utrecht University in the field of religious studies. In her research, she examines religious contra-identities in the anti-immigration discourse of the European far right. Do you want to know more about this topic? Follow Kirsten’s tips and read “The Far Right Today” by Cas Mudde or listen to the podcast episode “Why I left Christianity and the Far Right” with Joram Van Klaveren. Edit: Jara Majerus Cover: Antonia Leise