US Has Low Levels Of ‘Religious Nationalism,’ But Its Impact Stands Out
NEW YORK — The United States has a “relatively low level of religious nationalism” compared to other countries, but its impact on politics and society is particularly notable among high-income nations, according to a new report.
The latest Pew Research Study released on Tuesday examined the role of religion worldwide by surveying people in 36 countries. The comprehensive report explored the relationship between faith and politics, revealing significant differences between nations where Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Shintoism are the predominant religions.
In the U.S., religious nationalists — defined by Pew as individuals who believe that “being Christian is very important to being truly American” — make up a small group.
“It strikes me the [Christian nationalism] accusation has become for progressives what the ‘woke’ accusation has become for conservatives,” Christina Crenshaw, a cultural engagement and leadership associate at Dallas Theological Seminary, told Religion Unplugged last April. “Like, not every orthodox Christian living faithfully in a pluralistic public square is a CN,” she added. “And not every expression of social/civic justice is Marxism. The reductionism and polarization is exhausting.”
According to Pew, just 6% of U.S. adults identify as religious nationalists, a figure similar to other countries in the Americas, including Chile (6%), Mexico (8%) and Argentina (8%). Canada has a relatively low share of religious nationalists (3%), while Colombia (12%), Brazil (13%) and Peru (17%) have somewhat higher percentages.
By comparison, fewer than 1% of adults in Germany and Sweden meet this criteria, while over 4 in 10 adults in Indonesia (46%) and Bangladesh (45%) identify as religious nationalists.
“In this global context, the U.S. does not stand out for especially high levels of religious nationalism,” the report noted.
Debate over Christian nationalism has raged throughout the Trump era. The war of words intensified after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — many waving signs linking the defeated Republican political leader to their religion.
Even as countless books, news articles and cable TV segments devote intense attention to the subject, the term has become so pervasive that it risks losing any real meaning.
At least that’s the warning of a growing band of prominent academics and political observers — on the right and the left.
Pew acknowledged that scholars do not fully agree on how to define religious nationalism, and the challenge is even greater when attempting to study the concept across multiple countries and religious groups.
For instance, the report explains that in measuring Christian nationalism in the U.S., experts might consider issues like whether the government should allow prayer in public schools. In contrast, when measuring Hindu nationalism in India, experts might focus on government regulation of cow protection, which is significant to many Hindus.
There are several notable movements considered religious nationalism, including in India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has campaigned and governed with the idea that Hinduism should influence government policies.
Past Pew Research Center studies have explored similar topics, including Christian nationalism and the separation of church and state. A February 2024 study found that 5% of U.S. adults had heard of Christian nationalism and viewed it favorably. Just 13% believed the federal government should declare Christianity the official religion of the U.S.
Generally, the study showed that high-income nations have notably different public attitudes toward religion than middle-income countries. However, the U.S. stands out among other high-income nations, particularly in its views on religious texts. The report found that U.S. adults are more likely than people in any other high-income country to say “the Bible currently has either a great deal or some influence over the laws of their country.”
Faith as positive for society
The study found that views on religion’s overall impact on society are “broadly positive.” A median of 77% across the 36 countries surveyed said religion “mostly helps society,” while 19% said it “mostly hurts.”
Views on this issue were particularly positive in parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. For example, around 90% of adults in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Tunisia said religion helps society.
However, opinions were more divided in other parts of the world. In countries like Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom, roughly half or more of the population said religion harms society.
Buddhists in Southeast Asia overwhelmingly agreed that religion helps society. This was especially true in Sri Lanka, where at least 9 in 10 Buddhists held this view. Smaller majorities of Buddhists in South Korea and Japan also shared this perspective.
Hindus in Bangladesh were particularly likely to say that religion helps society, with an overwhelming 95% agreeing with the statement.
Importance of ‘religious friendly leaders’
Pew found that 30% of adults across all countries polled believe that “having a leader who stands up for people with their religious beliefs is very important.”
In countries like Bangladesh and Indonesia, approximately 7 in 10 adults said it is very important for the president or prime minister to stand up for those who share their religious beliefs.
This was not the case in most wealthier, higher-income nations. In France, a country known for its secularism, only 11% of adults agreed with the statement.
However, the United States, Chile and Israel stood out among high-income countries. In all three nations, about 3 in 10 adults said it is “very important” for their national leader to stand up for people with their religious beliefs.
At the same time, the importance of religion to national identity varies greatly. Nearly 90% of adults in Tunisia said that being Muslim is very important to being Tunisian, while only 3% of Swedes felt the same way about being Christian in Sweden.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged. He previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on X @ClementeLisi.