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Religion and Democratic Citizenship: A Multilevel Examination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2019

Catherine Bolzendahl Open the ORCID record for Catherine Bolzendahl [Opens in a new window] ,
Landon Schnabel Open the ORCID record for Landon Schnabel [Opens in a new window]  and
Rottem Sagi
Catherine Bolzendahl*
Affiliation:
University of California, Irvine
Landon Schnabel
Affiliation:
Indiana University, Bloomington
Rottem Sagi
Affiliation:
University of California, Irvine Indiana University, Bloomington
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Catherine Bolzendahl, Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, 3151 Social Science Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697. E-mail: c.bolzendahl@uci.edu
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Abstract

We conduct a multilevel examination of the relationship between religiosity and democratic citizenship norms and behaviors using International Social Survey Program data. We analyze how democratic engagement varies according to individual and national average religious involvement in 28 predominantly-Christian democracies. We find that (1) individual-level religious attendance is positively linked to both what people say (norms) and what they do (participation); (2) nations with higher aggregate national attendance participate less politically; and (3) the relationship between individual-level religious engagement and citizenship varies by national religious context. More specifically, individual religious attendance matters more where it is more distinctive (i.e., in more secular countries). Individual-level religious participation is generally conducive to citizenship, but its impact is context-dependent.

Type
Article
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 2019 , pp. 577 - 605
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2019 

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Footnotes

We thank members of the UCLA Comparative Analysis Seminar, UCI International and Comparative Sociology Workshop, Ann Hironaka and members of her writing group, Stan Bailey, Eulalie Laschaver, and Rune Stubager for helpful comments on previous drafts.

References

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