Philip Cohen, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, recently blogged about religious diversity in the United States (US). He rebuts the claim made by a Harvard professor that the US is “the world’s most religiously diverse nation.” While religious diversity in the US has increased significantly in recent decades (from .53 in 1972 to .68 in 2010), the current level of diversity is less than that present in several other countries. The World Values Survey finds the following nations as the ten with the greatest religious diversity:
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Taiwan
- South Korea
- Great Britain
- China
- Netherlands
- US
- Australia
- Zambia
So What?
America has been trending toward greater religious diversity for many decades. One of the shifts present over that time period has been a decline in Protestant Christianity, which has dipped from over 60% to under 50%. Since the factors contributing positively to increase in diversity are likely to persist, it is reasonable to assume that religious diversity will continue increasing in the years ahead. It is important, however, to recognize that our current levels of diversity are not unique.
- Over the course of your lifetime, how have you experienced increasing religious diversity?
- What are some of the benefits of living in a religiously diverse nation?
- How well do you know the religious makeup of your country? of your city or regional area?