Religion and Ethnicity: Paradoxes and Scientific Challenges

Abstract This study investigates connections between religion and ethnicity based on the ISSP Religion’18 module’s data , collected in 2018/19 in 28 countries from all over the world. The focus is on individual religiosity and ethnic self-identities in a general context, personally reported by 39,115 respondents. Implementing a purposefully designed algorithm the societies have been split up into majority and minority ethnic groups, and statistical modeling was used to determine the influencing factors for their levels of religiosity. The key results of the analysis showed a significant division between religiosity, belonging to a denomination, and believing in God. These three religious components had different impacts on ethnic identity - belonging standing out as the strongest one. Ethnic minorities (not only migrants) have a higher level of religiosity, believing, and belonging, compared to ethnic majorities. Believing in God does not necessarily mean believing in religious markers like life after death, heaven, hell etc., which could be considered both as a paradox and as a scientific challenge. Furthermore, religious and ethnic identities have hybrid characteristics and depend on cultural and economic environment - GDP registered a high correlation with religiosity.