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Re-examinging the Wall of Separation: A Cross-National Study of Religious Pluralism and Democracy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2012

Ryan J. Rebe
Ryan J. Rebe*
Affiliation:
Texas Tech University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Ryan J. Rebe, Department of Political Science, Texas Tech University, 3301 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79415. E-mail: ryan.rebe@ttu.edu
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Abstract

Mutual autonomy between religious and state institutions is often seen as a key ingredient for democratization. Yet, there are a large number of democracies with an established religion. If a separation of church and state is desirable for the maintenance of a stable democracy, then why do so many democracies continue to support religious institutions and practices? As the evidence from this study reveals, the difference between democracies and non-democracies does not depend on a wall of separation between church and state, but instead, on the protection of religious freedom for minority groups and the promotion of secular legislation.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , December 2012 , pp. 655 - 670
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2012

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