Values as Empty Signifiers?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study analyses discourses on values in the online publications of Christian organizations in the EU , focusing on the European People’s Party ( EPP ), European Christian Political Party ( ECPP ), and Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union ( COMECE ). Through a detailed content analysis, it identifies three main recurring themes: migration, biopolitics, and historical references connecting values to European identity and heritage. The findings show the use of references to “values,” which allow each organization to engage in meaning-making that aligns with their perspectives on contemporary issues. Using Laclau’s theory of the empty signifier, the study argues that references to “values” and “Christian values” act as empty signifiers and serve as unifying, hegemonic symbols of European political identity and action.
Source: Journal of Religion in Europe
Author: Marie Jäckel
Institution: University of Zurich
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4417400398
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