Who Is Civil Religious?

Abstract

Civil religious ideology is allegedly shared by a vast majority of Americans. This paper explores civil religious adherence for various religious, political, social, economic, and demographic aggregates. Data were obtained from a statewide survey of 3,054 North Carolinians conducted in 1975. Findings indicate a fairly uniform level of support for tenets of civil religion from most segments of the population. Implications of such support are discussed along with the potential of manipulating civil religious ideology for self-serving ends.