Matteo Bollini

Employing theoretical and methodological tools from Discourse Analysis, this project investigates the ways in which the charge of “being a religion” is used in a host of cultural and political debates as a rhetorical strategy to delegitimize an opponent’s position. In doing so, it examines the underlying conceptualizations of “religion” these discourses rely on and their role in the (re)production of the modern world. Focusing on recent cases from the Italian context, the study analyzes how influential actors apply the “religious label” to discredit their targets. By highlighting the role played by the category of “religion” in the contemporary world, this research contributes to a growing body of work in the field of Discursive Study of Religion, bridging a critical gap by integrating empirical discourse analysis with broader theoretical and historical perspectives.