Reconceptualizing Religious Identity: Examining Religious Identity and Violence

• In Event: Religious Identities

Abstract

Religious identity is a concept often discussed but difficult to measure. In particular, religious identity is often utilized to explain the prevalence of religiously motivated violence and repression. This study focuses on the question: What influence does religious identity have on making religious violence and repression more prevalent? We are interested in determining the constitutive factors associated with measuring religious identity and how it impacts the prevalence of religiously motivated violence and repression. We argue that religious identity is a multidimensional concept and that specific constitutive aspects of religious identity (believing, belonging, and behavior) are influenced by religious repression and violence. We test our predictions with data from the World Values Survey, the Religion and State Project, and the Religion and Conflict in Developing Countries dataset utilizing Bayesian item response theory to examine the relationship associated with religious identity and religious repression and violence.

Authors

• Robert Thuan Brathwaite, Michigan State University

• Baekkwan Park