Dr Daniel Nilsson DeHanas
Reader in Politics and Religion
Research interests
- Religion
Biography
Daniel Nilsson DeHanas joined King’s in September 2014. He completed his doctoral studies in sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spending part of this time affiliated with the politics department at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. He has previously held research positions at the University of Bristol and the University of Kent, and as a Fulbright research fellow at the University of Tampere in Finland.
Research interests and PhD supervision
- Muslims in British and transnational politics
- Populism and religion
- London as a global city of migration
- Religion and secularity in theory and practice
Daniel Nilsson DeHanas studies how Muslims’ experiences as descendants of immigrants in North Atlantic contexts enrich our democratic politics while also sparking populist opposition. He has investigated a wide range of international cases, ranging from populist opposition to mosque construction, to the Muslim Atlantic as a cultural space of connection, to his current research on Gen Z Muslims at university.
In recent years DeHanas’ research has increasingly attended to the global rise of populism. In this body of work, he has argued that all populism builds from a notion of a ‘sacred’ people and thus the study of religion is core to understanding any populism.
DeHanas is co-editor of the international academic journal Religion, State and Society (Routledge). In this capacity he welcomes enquiries about publishing the findings of international research projects as well as proposals for thematic journal special issues at any intersection of religion and politics.
Dr DeHanas’ book London Youth, Religion, and Politics (OUP 2016) is an in-depth comparative study of how religion shapes ethnic minority youth political participation. The book is based on extensive ethnographic research and interviews with young British Jamaicans in Brixton (mostly Christian or non-religious) and young British Bengalis in the East End of London (predominantly Muslim), whom DeHanas recruited from local streets, markets, mosques, and churches. Although he found common features in these youths’ political attitudes, the Muslim and Christian youth displayed large differences in styles and levels of political participation, with wider implications for the politics of immigration and religious diversity. Dr DeHanas serves as editor of the international academic journal Religion, State and Society (Routledge), working alongside his co-editor Dr Marat Shterin. He is also a co-founder and editorial board member for Public Spirit, an online forum based at the University of Bristol for ‘spirited debate about religion and public policy.’ Daniel Nilsson DeHanas welcomes proposals from independently motivated students who are interested in research on religion through the lens of political science, sociology, or public policy.Teaching
Daniel Nilsson DeHanas teaches undergraduate modules in global comparative politics, religion in international relations, and religion and media. He also teaches on politics and religion at Masters-level and supervises PhD students in areas relating to his research interests.
Events
Neoliberal Religion: Faith and Power in the Twenty-First Century
Book launch and Roundtable discussion with Professor Mathew Guest.
Please note: this event has passed.
Events
Neoliberal Religion: Faith and Power in the Twenty-First Century
Book launch and Roundtable discussion with Professor Mathew Guest.
Please note: this event has passed.