Religious Ethos and Political Discourse: A Comparative Analysis of the Role of Religion in Shaping the National Ideologies of Japan and Singapore

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to identify the mechanisms of the functioning of religious ethos in the political discourse of Japan and Singapore. The methodology combined political science, cultural studies, religious studies, and historical-genetic analysis. The findings showed that Japan developed a distinctive model of religious-political interaction based on Shintoism as a sacralised foundation of statehood. During the Meiji period, State Shinto legitimised political authority and national unity, while after 1945, religious symbols continued to influence national consciousness despite official secularism. In Singapore, religious pluralism contributed to a model of “managed harmony,” in which Confucian ethics, adapted to modern conditions, supported civic cohesion. The state regulated the religious sphere to preserve social stability. Comparative analysis demonstrated that both countries used religion as an instrument of political integration, although through different institutional mechanisms. Confucian traditions were particularly significant in both contexts, but acquired different political interpretations. The study concluded that religion remains an important component of contemporary national ideologies, adapting to modernisation and globalisation without losing cultural identity. The findings may inform political planning in culturally diverse societies.