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America’s changing religious landscape
 
PIIS013122270001326-9-1
DOI10.20542/0131-2227-2018-62-9-48-59
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Vladimir Pechatnov 
Affiliation: Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MGIMO)
Address: Russian Federation
Journal nameMirovaia ekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnosheniia
EditionVolume 62 Issue 9
Pages48-59
Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the main trends in America’s changing religious landscape in the

beginning of the 21st century. It is based on recent sociological studies and survey research conducted by the

Public Religion Research Institute and Pew Research, most notably – PRRI’s report “America’s Changing

Religious Identity. Findings from the 2016 American Values Atlas”. These trends are: 1) decline of white

Christian America (especially Protestants); 2) growth of non-white Christians and non-Christian religions;

3) rise of religiously unaffiliated. There has been an acceleration of secularization process in recent years

caused by such long-term trends as rising levels of urbanization and education, deep changes in racial/

ethnic composition of the U.S. population under impact of immigration, and decline of traditional values

eroded by post-modern liberalism. Also consequential were specific policies of Obama’s administration

promoting greater equality in race and gender relations. The emergence of “white nativism” was a natural

reaction of white Christian America to the loss of its majority status, being enhanced by decline of living

standards of the white working class. This movement was energized by the white populist campaign of

Donald Trump and provided him with a narrow margin of victory. As a President, Trump stuck to his white

Christian base (Evangelicals in particular) which remains his most loyal source of support. The decline of

white Christian America has had a strong impact on the Democratic and Republican parties widening the

value gap between them. Various Protestant denominations choose different strategies in response to their

growing marginalization: from adapting to the increasingly liberal cultural mainstream to actively resisting it

by all means including political ones. The American style secularization process still retains its combination

of high institutional religiosity with creeping dissipation of dogmatic and moral foundations. Yet, given

the ongoing social and cultural transformations along with the manifest generational dynamics, a further

dissolution of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) centrality in American life looks irreversible and

would have grave implications for the national identity.

Keywordswhite Christian America, Protestants, Catholics, Evangelicals, secularization, 2016 election, immigration, national identity, Donald Trump
Received03.10.2018
Publication date03.10.2018
Number of characters588
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