Simon Kuper writes in the FT: “As people embrace tech-tinged or personalised religions (or none at all), old communal religions don’t disappear. Rather, they are being repurposed from faiths into markers of ethnic identity. This is a global trend. Roy says that when European populists talk about the continent’s “Christian identity”, that tends to be code for “Europe is white”. That’s often the message when, for instance, politicians place nativity scenes in town halls. In the US, some Trump-supporting evangelicals follow a creed that’s not so much biblical as American exceptionalist. Russia’s Putin-backing Orthodox church pushes an increasingly nationalist, messianic ideology. India’s ruling Hindu nationalist BJP and Israel’s religious right are both, in part, anti-Islamic ethnic supremacist movements. Hamas merges a violent interpretation of Islam with antisemitism. Nowadays, if you want a faith community, take up politics. Religious belief is becoming a personal affair.”
Spot on. Religion is decoupling from theology (belief, ethics, scripture) and re-coupling with ethno-nationalist identity.
People naturally split up into us vs them, or as Carl Schmitt would say, the friend-enemy distinction is the essence of politics.
We’re tribal. And just as animals signal, so too do humans. We want our friends to know we’re on their side.
Gemini says: 1. Europe: “Believing without Belonging” to “Belonging without Believing”In Europe, the trend is arguably the most visible. As actual church attendance plummets, right-wing populist movements increasingly embrace Christian symbols (crosses, nativity scenes, cathedrals) not as testaments of faith, but as a cultural firewall against Islam and globalization.
The Concept: This is often termed “Cultural Christianity.” It argues that “Christian” is a synonym for “European heritage” or “White,” regardless of whether the individual believes in the divinity of Christ.
According to a 2018 Pew Research Center study, vast majorities in Western Europe identify as Christian (e.g., 71% in Germany, 64% in France), yet regular church attendance is remarkably low (often below 10% to 15%).
The same study found that “non-practicing Christians” in Western Europe are significantly more likely than religiously unaffiliated people to express negative views toward immigrants and Muslims. For example, in the UK, 45% of non-practicing Christians agreed that “Islam is fundamentally incompatible with our culture and values,” compared to 30% of the unaffiliated.
Political Application: When politicians protect nativity scenes in town halls, it is framed less as a religious duty and more as a defense of “local tradition” against perceived foreign encroachment.
2. The United States: Christian Nationalism vs. Evangelical Faith
In the US, the text suggests a shift from biblical literalism to “American Exceptionalism.” This is the rise of Christian Nationalism—a political ideology that posits the US was founded as a Christian nation and must remain one to survive.The Shift: Traditional Evangelicalism focuses on personal salvation and evangelizing (spreading the gospel). The new “creed” focuses on political power, borders, and cultural preservation.
In the 2016 and 2020 elections, roughly 80-84% of White Evangelical Protestants voted for Donald Trump, despite his lifestyle often contradicting traditional evangelical morality. This suggests a vote based on tribal protection rather than shared piety.
A 2023 PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) study found that roughly 30% of Americans qualify as Christian Nationalists or Sympathizers.Among White Evangelical Protestants, 66% qualify as Christian Nationalists or Sympathizers. This group is nearly seven times more likely than other Americans to agree that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence to save our country.”
3. Russia and India: The State-Religion Merger
In these nations, the dominant religion is being weaponized by the state to define citizenship and loyalty.
Russia (The Orthodox Church):
Under Patriarch Kirill, the Russian Orthodox Church has become the spiritual arm of the Kremlin. The concept of Russkiy Mir (“Russian World”) frames the invasion of Ukraine not just as a territorial war, but as a holy war against Western “satanic” liberalism.
While roughly 70% of Russians identify as Orthodox, only a small fraction (approx 6%) attend church weekly. The identity is national, not liturgical.
India (Hindutva):
The BJP promotes Hindutva (Hindu-ness), which seeks to redefine India—constitutionally a secular republic—as a Hindu civilization.The Data: A 2021 Pew Research study found that 64% of Hindus in India say that being a Hindu is “very important” to being “truly Indian.” Furthermore, 59% of Hindus say being able to speak Hindi is very important to being truly Indian, merging language, religion, and national identity into a single exclusionary block.
4. Israel and Hamas: Religion as Land and Ethnicity
The conflict in the Middle East highlights how religious markers are used to harden ethnic divides, making compromise nearly impossible because the conflict becomes “cosmic” rather than territorial.
Israel: The Religious Zionist demographic is growing and moving from the fringes to the center of government. This group views the land not merely as a security asset but as a divine mandate.The fertility rate among Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) women is roughly 6.6 children, compared to 2.0 for secular Jewish women. As this demographic grows, Israeli politics shifts rightward, prioritizing religious claims to the West Bank over secular diplomatic solutions.
Hamas: The text notes the merger of Islamism with antisemitism. While the PLO (Fatah) was historically a secular nationalist movement, Hamas frames the struggle as an Islamic imperative. This transforms a dispute over borders into a religious struggle against Judaism itself, often employing violent interpretations of Jihad to justify atrocities.
We are witnessing the secularization of religious identity. Ironically, as people believe less in the dogmas of their faiths, they are fighting harder for the labels of those faiths. Religion is no longer about how you behave or what you believe about the afterlife; it is about who you vote for and who your enemies are.
