The Greek ID Card Controversy: A Case Study of Religion and National Identity in a Changing European Union

This article presents the initial findings of a research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust from 2003 to 2005. It should be seen as the sequel to a pilot study originally conducted in 2002 and published in the Journal of Contemporary Religion in 2003 (Molokotos-Liederman, ”Identity Crisis“). The article examines the ID card controversy in Greece, setting it in its broader European context. Using data from newspaper articles and interviews, it maps the different opinion groups that emerge from this controversy and offers a preliminary analysis of these views. The final section indicates a range of topics that are emerging from this study and merit further investigation.