By Todd Ferguson
Recently, the Religion and Public Life Center and the Boniuk Institute hosted two scholars, Ryan Burge and Michael Emerson, who have come to similar conclusions regarding the intersection of faith and identity. While one scholar focused primarily on the landscape of American politics (Burge) and the other focused on the complexities of race (Emerson), both reached the same unsettling verdict: religion is increasingly becoming a source of tribal identity.
Religion has always been a source of identity formation. In fact, providing a person with an understanding of who they are is one of the major functions of religion in society. Religious communities offer us an identity, a sense of who "we" are and tho "they" are by drawing the boundaries around who is in and who is out. Of course, religion is also one of the major social forces that can remove boundaries and subvert identities. Kindness toward the "other" is a central pillar of the three great montheistic faiths. this ethos is rooted in the Torah's command to welcome the foreigner as one's own (Leviticus 19:33-34), a principle Jesus later reinforced by defining "neighborly love" as a universal requirement (Matthew 22:37-40). The Quran echoes this call to look beyond one's immediate circle, mandating compassionate care and charity for the "wayfarer" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:177). Yet Emerson and Burge both say that there is a pattern in our current social life that ignores many traditions' commands to love each other. Instead, religion is becoming a tribal identity.
The Religionization of Race
Michael Emerson was recently on our "Religion Unmuted" podcast to talk about his most recent book, The Religion of Whiteness. His book (along with co-author Glenn Bracey) makes a bold claim--race has become "religionized." Through his in-depth interviews and national surveys, Emerson shows that many Americans use the foundational components of religion--rituals, symbols, and beliefs--to create a new religious community that upholds and worships White supremacy. He calls this "The Religion of Whiteness" or ROW. In this framework, these beliefs and symbols are not consciously held, yet they powerfully shape how people approach their faith and understand race. These beliefs include:
One's racial identity is the primary identity, while religion is relegated to a secondary status.- ROW includes specific beliefs, such as the idea that "whiteness makes one more fully human than other humans" and the notion that whiteness should be the universal norm for the human condition.
- One's racial identity becomes the "sacred core" of the faith.
- Religious symbols are co-opted to support these racial ideologies.
Ultimately, ROW uses the language and symbology of Christianity to wrap and protect the identity of being white, effectively using religious language to support a specific racial ideology. For example, imagery may combine Biblical versus and the cross with the American flag to create a visual representation of this tribal alignment, as seen in this yard sign that one can buy from Amazon.
The Political Driver of Faith
The same pattern is occurring with politics. Ryan Burge recently spoke to the RPLC's Religious and Civic Leader Gathering for an online session about his newest book The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us. he addresses how political identity is becoming the driver for religious affiliation. By analyzing large datasets of Americans, Burge found patters that run counter to the commonly held idea that people choose the political party that most closely matches their religious convictions. Instead, he found that people are choosing their religions based on their political party. In particular:
- Republicans are more closely identifying with the label "Evangelical," even if they never attend worship services.
- Conservative Jews, Muslims, and Catholics are more likely to state they are "Evangelical" or "born-again."
- Democrats are increasingly moving away from religious affiliations and towards the "Dones," "Nones," and atheists.
As with Emerson, Burge shows that religion is functioning as a way for Americans to draw tighter boundaries around their identities.
Religion as the Passenger
In the views of both Emerson and Burge, religion has become the "passenger" while either race or politics sits in the "driver's seat." For those following the Religion of Whiteness, white identity is the primary focus; for those following the trends Burge identifies, being a Republican is the primary identity. In both instances, Christianity is used as a secondary identity to prop up the primary one.
The result is a form of religion that looks increasingly tribal. It functions to define who is "in" and who is "out," drawing tighter boundaries around identities rather than expanding them. Within the specific patterns highlighted by Emerson and Burge, to be "inside" Christianity is interpreted by many as being White and Republican. This tribalism often ignores the calls to welcome the foreigner or to love one's enemies. Instead, it becomes focused on maintaining boundaries, hierarchy, and power.
It is important to note that Emerson and Burge are not arguing that all religion is tribal, nor that all white people or evangelicals follow these patterns. However, they provide sound evidence that an increasing number of people are using religion to solidify tribal boundaries around racial and political identities.
I'm thankful that the Religion and Public Life Center is able to host scholars like Michael Emerson and Ryan Burge who offer such insights into how religion is playing out in our society. We will meet again in May for our season's final Religious and Civic Leader Gathering to hear the findings from the Boniuk Institute's Houston Religion Study where we'll learn how Houston's religious communities collaborate together to help our city thrive. I hope you will join us.
Explore the full schedule on our website>>>
Revisit our conversation with guest Ryan Burge on YouTube.
Listen to/ watch Michael Emerson in conversation with host Elaine Howard Eckund on Episode 34 of the "Religion Unmuted" podcast.
Email us at BoniukInstitute@rice.edu to receive your invitation!