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Does Religion Still Matter? Religion and Public Attitudes toward Integration in Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2010

Brent F. Nelsen ,
James L. Guth  and
Brian Highsmith
Brent F. Nelsen*
Affiliation:
Furman University
James L. Guth*
Affiliation:
Furman University
Brian Highsmith
Affiliation:
Furman University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Brent F. Nelsen, Department of Political Science, Furman University, Greenville, SC 29613. E-mail: [email protected]; or to James L. Guth. E-mail: [email protected]
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Brent F. Nelsen, Department of Political Science, Furman University, Greenville, SC 29613. E-mail: [email protected]; or to James L. Guth. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Recent years have seen a proliferation of studies on the determinants of support for the European Union among national publics. Scholars have analyzed economic, political, informational, and identity factors as influences, but there has been less exploration of cultural factors, most notably religion. This article replicates our earlier studies exploring the impact of confessional culture and religious commitment on support for the European Union, expanding the purview from early member states to more recent accessions and candidates for membership. Using Eurobarometer 65.2 (Papacostas 2006), we demonstrate that religion still shapes attitudes toward European integration, but in varying ways and to different extents in several parts of the Union. In early member states, Catholics — especially committed ones — are more supportive of the European Union than Protestants, confirming earlier findings. In more recent accessions, however, religion's impact is weaker and assumes different configurations. Finally, we present evidence that even in the early member states religion is losing its influence over Europeanist sentiment and suggest that this development presents obstacles to further political integration.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , April 2011 , pp. 1 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2010

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