Editors' introduction.

This article explores the relationship between religion and power in various contexts. It begins by discussing the contested nature of power and its ability to make, receive, or resist change. The contributions to this journal issue focus on different aspects of religiously motivated political actors seeking to persuade others to accept their views. The first two contributions examine the secularized Nordic countries, specifically looking at how religion is used in debates on abortion and by religious-niche parties seeking parliamentary representation. The third contribution explores the formation and exertion of social and political power by Shi'i clerical leadership in the Middle East. The fourth contribution examines how a religious minority in Israel sustains their communal identity in the face of state regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The final contribution reviews a book that challenges conventional understandings of religion by highlighting the sacralization of neoliberalism and its impact on citizenship. [Extracted from the article]