Citation

Hayes BC. Sociol. Relig. 1995; 56(2): 177-194.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Association for the Sociology of Religion)

DOI

10.2307/3711762

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Using recent cross-national data, this study examines the differential impact of religious identification on political attitudes in eight western nations: the United States, Great Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, West Germany, East Germany, Northern Ireland, and Italy. The results show a marked variation in patterns of religious identification across these countries and significant effects of religious identification on political attitudes. That is to say, whereas Apostates are significantly less opposed to abortion or working women than either their Catholic or Protestant religious affiliates, they are also more likely to express less confidence in institutions and oppose the role of religion in politics. In contrast, no significant differences emerged between Apostates and Stable Independents, or the non-affiliated religious groups, in relation to these issues. Thus, for these eight western nations at least, it is a religious non-affiliation, or the current lack of a religious identity, that constitutes the key differentiating factor in distinguishing political attitudes.