The Unexpected Consequences of State Support for Religion

The Unexpected Consequences of State Support for Religion: An Empirical Analysis of Christian-Majority addresses the consequences of one of the most basic decisions a government must make when dealing with religion: the decision to support a state religion or to provide separation of religion and state and religious freedom.

Drawing on the rational choice literature on religion and politics as well as the broader literature on religion in the social sciences, this book takes the perspective that politicians and governments decide on government religion policy based on their own interests. It tests five potential consequences of supporting a state religion in Christina-majority countries: religiosity (how religious are people in the country?), governmental legitimacy, levels of both public and private morality in a country, social trust, and patterns of violence and social unrest. Many of the empirical analyses reveal unexpected costs and benefits to supporting a state religion. For example, while most assume that when governments support a religion it is at least in part because they believe it will increase their legitimacy, this book finds, with some exceptions, that it accomplishes the opposite. Similarly, it finds an incentive structure that perversely incentivizes increased discrimination against religious minorities.

The Unexpected Consequences of State Support for Religion will appeal to scholars and students of Politics, Religion and Sociology, particularly those interested in Christian Nationalism, and Government and state politics.