RT Article
T1 The Influence of State Favoritism on Established Religions and Their Competitors
JF Politics and religion
VO 16
IS 1
SP 129
OP 159
A1 Koev, Dan
LA English
PB Cambridge Univ. Press
YR 2023
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1848788983
AB What are the consequences of state support for, and official recognition of, one religion or religious institution over all others in the state? Previous studies have focused on the impact of a state's religion policies on overall religiosity in that state. In contrast, I argue that state support will have markedly different consequences for (1) the favored religious firm and (2) all other religious institutions. Similar to religious market theory, I expect that dependence on state support creates disincentives for the favored religious organization to attract adherents. However, I theorize that the weaknesses that state-backed favoritism engenders in the favored religion should create opportunities for other religious firms to compete and thrive. I conduct a multivariate quantitative analysis of changes in religious affiliation in 174 states between 1990 and 2010, controlling for factors like existential security, regime type, net migration, post-Communist background, and major religious traditions. My findings suggest that, consistent with my expectations, religious institutions that receive favorable treatment from the state lose ground relative to those that do not.
K1 Church and state
K1 established religion
K1 Religious Affiliation
K1 religious market theory
K1 Secularization
DO 10.1017/S1755048322000153