Religion and the Contours of "European" Identity

• In Event: Religion and International Politics

Abstract

Proponents of greater European political unity through the development of the European Union (EU) have long sought to foster a “European” identity among citizens as a way of advancing their cause. And there is now a substantial body of scholarship devoted to understanding the social, economic and demographic factors contributing to the development of such identity. Recently, there has been a growing interest in cultural influences, but the possible impact of religion has been largely ignored. Given that religious factors have been a persistent influence on European attitudes toward the integration project, we think they should also shape related identities, a conjecture that we have previously confirmed in analysis of Eurobarometer data from the early 2000s. To replicate and build on those findings, we use the GOODGOD survey of 8 EU member states conducted by François Foret of the Free University of Brussels (ULB) in late 2020. We show that religious groups still differ systematically in their propensity to take “European” identity markers, as Catholics are most likely to be cognitive “Europeans,” while Protestants and other Christians are less likely to take such perspectives. More importantly, we examine the way religion intersects with other demographic, ideological, and value orientations to shape the complex intersections of national and European identities.

Authors

• James L. Guth, Furman University

• Brent F. Nelsen, Furman University