Religion fosters prejudice via intergroup bias, meaning-making threat, and authoritarianism.

Evidence

A number of theoretical frameworks within social psychology help explain the link between religion and prejudice. Religion provides a strong basis for intergroup bias, which occurs when group members favor their ingroup and derogate outgroups (Johnson et al., 2012). Religion is also a powerful meaning-making framework and thus may make certain social categories seem more threatening compared with others (e.g., value-violating groups like LGBT people or atheists; Rowatt et al., 2013). In addition, conservative religious values are associated with religious fundamentalism (belief in one set of religious teachings as essential and inerrant truth) and right-wing authoritarianism (characterized by conventionalism, submission to authority, and authoritarian use of aggression), which, in turn, are related to prejudice (Hunsberger & Jackson, 2005). — Alexandra Snell, Miron Zuckerman, and Bonnie M. Le, Does Religious Priming Induce Greater…, 5

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism as distinct mechanisms connecting religion to prejudice.
• XREF: connects to: Religion fuels prejudice against value-violating groups but restrains prejudice against racial groups. — Annetta Snell and Miron Zuckerman and Bonnie M. Le, Does Religious Priming Induce Greater…, 17; Prejudice may drive people toward religion, not only vice versa — Alexandra Snell, Miron Zuckerman, and Bonnie M. Le, Does Religious Priming Induce Greater…, 107; Religion’s effect on prejudice depends on how it fits personality (+18 more)

Broader Connections

• Religion bundles opposing tendencies that both fuel and curb prejudice #qualifies (0.90) — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 522
• Religious fundamentalism predicts prejudice only through rightwing authoritarianism #expands (0.90) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 2134
• Intergroup identification plus conventional life values, not doctrine, drive religious racism. #expands (0.90) — Deborah L. Hall and David C. Matz and Wendy Wood, Why Don’t We Practice What We Preach? A…, 86
• Religion fuels prejudice against value-violating groups but restrains prejudice against racial groups. #qualifies (0.85) — Annetta Snell and Miron Zuckerman and Bonnie M. Le, Does Religious Priming Induce Greater…, 17
• Prejudice may drive people toward religion, not only vice versa #complicates (0.85) — Alexandra Snell, Miron Zuckerman, and Bonnie M. Le, Does Religious Priming Induce Greater…, 107
• Religious priming causally increases prejudice toward LGBT people and atheists #exemplifies (0.85) — Annetta Snell and Miron Zuckerman and Bonnie M. Le, Does Religious Priming Induce Greater…, 108
• Religion can either reinforce or reduce prejudice depending on its function. #qualifies (0.85)
• Strong religious identification predicts derogation of out-group members rather than anti-prejudice conviction. #corroborates (0.85) — Deborah L. Hall and David C. Matz and Wendy Wood, Why Don’t We Practice What We Preach? A…, 11
• Extrinsic religiosity raises prejudice only toward groups one’s religion condemns #qualifies (0.85) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2553
• Religion’s effect on prejudice depends on how it fits personality #qualifies (0.80)
• Religious upbringing and church membership correlate with higher prejudice. #corroborates (0.80) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2526
• Outgroup religious difference plus perceived value threat predicts fundamentalist prejudice #expands (0.80) — Sherman A. Lee, Chelsea A. Reid, Stephen D. Short, Jeffrey A. Gibbons, Ruth Yeh, and Matthew L. Campbell, Fear of Muslims, 35
• Extrinsic religion correlates with higher prejudice than intrinsic religion across diverse measures #expands (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2535
• Religious groups split prejudice into forbidden and encouraged categories #qualifies (0.80) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2547
• Major religions both produce and combat prejudice simultaneously #complicates (0.80)