An  understanding of power, in its many forms, is an important part of the  study of religion and culture. In this podcast on ‘Religion, Power and  Ideology’ I give an outline of Michel Foucault’s understanding of the  concept of power. In particular, ‘power is everywhere because it comes  from everywhere’.

One  instance of power and religion is the idea of an ideology – religion as  a means by which power relations (and inequalities based on such power  relations) are naturalised and legitimated. Religion is not the only  form of ideology, but I raise the important question to ask in any study  of religion: ‘where is the money?’.