Rush Hour of Populists: Religious Populism and Hybrid Media

Abstract The introduction to the special issue develops a framework for understanding religious populism in hybrid media environments, emphasizing its role as a mode of meaning-making that intertwines political and religious logics. Moving beyond conventional approaches that frame religious populism as either the politicization of religion or the sacralization of politics, we highlight its capacity to shape collective identities through transcendencies—the drive to move beyond immediate experience and construct systems of significance. We argue that religious populism extends beyond institutional structures, functioning as a culturally embedded process that reinterprets and reclaims meaning-making in contemporary society. Within hybrid media environments, where digital and traditional platforms intersect, these dynamics are intensified through algorithmic visibility, direct engagement, and the erosion of institutional religious gatekeeping. By situating religious populism within broader media and cultural transformations, this introduction underscores its influence in contemporary political and religious landscapes.