Author:

Keywords:

Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Political Science, Religion, Government & Law, NEW-AGE, CHURCHES, ATHEISM, GENDER, DUTCH, 1606 Political Science, 2204 Religion and Religious Studies, 4408 Political science, 5004 Religious studies

Abstract:

This article aims to move beyond media discourse about new atheism by mapping and explaining anti-religious zeal among the public at large in 14 Western European countries. We analyze data from the International Social Survey Program, Religion III, 2008, to test two theories about how country-level religiousness affects anti-religiosity and its social bases: a theory of rationalization and a theory of deprivatization of disbelief. Hypotheses derived from the former are contradicted, whereas those derived from the latter are largely confirmed. Anti-religiosity is strongest among disbelievers and among the higher educated in the most religious countries and among the older generations in today's most secularized countries. Copyright © 2013 Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association.