The Social Institution of Religion in American Society

Carson Luhr

SOC-1010-01: Introduction to Sociology

Professor Welden

December 8, 2022
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As defined by authors Kathleen Odell Korgen and Maxine P. Atkinson in the book,

Sociology in Action, a social institution is “a set of statuses and roles that focus on one central

aspect of society.”1 Social institutions are ever-prevalent within the daily life of any individual

upon the face of the earth, as they are the building blocks of a whole society; which all people

are a part of in one way or another. Throughout our lives, we all take part in the systems in which

these institutions either are affected by, or formulate themselves through. However, unlike

institutions such as education, media, and family, the institution of religion has a unique

characteristic, as not all who participate in society necessarily participate in the practice of

religion as well. Thus, in an effort to better understand the relationship that the social institution

of religion has not only with individual members of society, but also with the other social

institutions themselves, elements such as the influence that religion has upon society, the current

state of religion along with how it is viewed by the American people, and what the future of

religion as a part of modern society could possibly look like, must be brought to attention.

While the question of which social institution is the most influential within modern

American society is hotly debated, a strong contender for the answer to this question is the

institution of religion. While not definitively the most influential institution, religion has a

myriad of qualities and characteristics that make it not only incredibly powerful in itself, but also

remarkably influential among individuals in society as well as systems such as corporations and

even government (a social institution in itself). In an article titled, “The Role of Religion in

Politics,” published by the Associated Press-NORC through the University of Chicago, it goes

on to detail the influence that religion has upon legislation, as determined through the surveying

1
Korgen, Kathleen O. 2020. Sociology in Action. Edited by Kathleen O. Korgen and Maxine P. Atkinson. N.p.:
SAGE.
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of over 1000 individuals.2 However, what stands out among the results of this study, is not

necessarily its quantitative statistics, but rather the areas in which the hypothetically affected

legislation would influence. For example, the study shows that 57% of participants believe that

religion should influence the legislation passed in order to fight poverty, thus giving religion

influence into the social institution of the economy. Along with this, 44% of the study’s

participants believed that religion should directly influence the legislation passed surrounding

health care; yet another social institution. Finally, 49% believed that religion should once again

influence the passing of legislation involving education; which in itself, is also a social

institution. Despite the latter two examples being less than 50% of the demographic studied, their

respective numbers are nothing to scoff at, as they have the potential to inflict change. These

findings are especially interesting, as it seems rather immoral to have an institution that not all

participate in have such a massive level of influence. Along with this, it appears to be quite

unconstitutional; as it is clearly documented that the United States of America is to have a

separation between church and state. As previously stated, the title of the most influential social

institution remains to be a hotly debated subject; however, religion has a multitude of reasons as

to why it may be worthy of that title. Yet, even if religion is not the institution that receives the

title of “most influential,” it still maintains its own great level of influence within American

society.

Upon studying the current state of religion within the United States, it is vital to turn to

quantitative data for telling results. While on the other hand, in an effort to understand the

differing views towards religion among the American people, it is qualitative data where

attention should be focused. First, we shall turn our focus to the current numerical state of

religion within America, as compared to the past, numbers have tremendously shifted from their
2
“The Role of Religion in Politics.” 2018. AP-NORC. https://apnorc.org/projects/the-role-of-religion-in-politics/.
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previous stature. The first step of understanding the religious context of modern-day America, is

acknowledging all religious groups involved. Jeffrey M. Jones writes in an article published by

Gallup, that:

According to an average of all 2021 Gallup polling, about three in four Americans said
they identify with a specific religious faith. By far the largest proportion, 69%, identify
with a Christian religion, including 35% who are Protestant, 22% Catholic and 12% who
identify with another Christian religion or simply as a "Christian. -

Seven percent identify with a non-Christian religion, including 2% who are Jewish, 1%
Muslim and 1% Buddhist, among others. -

Twenty-one percent of Americans said they have no religious preference, and 3% did not
answer the question.3 (Jones 2021)

As it can be viewed within these statistics, Chritianity is by far the most populous religion within

the United States, with only seven percent of all those interviewed stating that they were of a

faith that is non-Christian affiliated. Given this information, it becomes rather clear as to why

many seem to not consider other religions when speaking towards the influence that religion has

upon American society. However, it is vital that all be documented and included within study, as

without them, the whole picture is not tangible. Along with the above information, it is vital to

account for the opinions of Americans in regards to the shifting statistics of religious affiliation

in the United States. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, it was found that,

“roughly four-in-ten U.S. adults – including a majority of Christians – lament what they perceive

as religion’s declining influence on American society, while fewer than two-in-ten say they think

religion is losing influence in American life and that this is a good thing.” 4 Yet, these numbers

are simply the quantitative aspect of the current state of religion within America, as they do not

account for the personal context of individuals in regards to religion.

3
Jones, Jeffrey M. 2021. “How Religious Are Americans?” Gallup News.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/358364/religious-americans.aspx.
4
“Americans' Views on Religion in Society, Politics.” 2019. Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/11/15/americans-have-positive-views-about-religions-role-in-society-but
-want-it-out-of-politics/.
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Moving forward off of this, the views of religion that the American people possess exist

upon a wide spectrum, from those of tolerance and respect, to those of bigotry and xenophobia.

These starkly opposing views have been seen to be more prevalent since the 2016 election,

wherein former president Donald Trump gave a spotlight to those who held more far-right

leaning religious values. According to a journal article from Sociology of Religion, it states that a

primary reason as to why Donald Trump received so many votes was due to the fact that many

believed that they were symbolically defending the United States’ perceived Christian heritage. 5

Thus, an ever-evolving conflict around religion began to spiral into the attention of the American

people. Many who opposed Trump connected the religious expression of his supporters to their

perspective towards religion (nearly unanimously Christianity), thus giving them an almost

entirely negative view in regards to religion as an institution. While on the other side of this

conflict, those who supported Trump (and still do to this day) saw the opinions of those on the

opposing side as attacking their, often ignorant, beliefs. Sadly, this conflict still continues, despite

the election of a new president; thus, the current view of religion within American society is

often intertwined with experiences involving the presidency of Donald Trump.

A topic of conversation that often comes into relevance when discussing religion within

the United States is that of its future. As briefly mentioned earlier, the number of individuals that

align with a religion, or express the following of various religious practices in one manner or

another, is on the downward trend within the United States. To further support this point, the

Survey Center of American Life found that approximately one-third of Generation Z is

religiously unaffiliated, the most of any generation to date.6 Given this information, it is rather
5
Whitehead, Andrew L., Samuel L. Perry, and Joseph O. Baker. 2018. “Make America Christian Again: Christian
Nationalism and Voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election.” Sociology of Religion 79, no. 2
(January): 147. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srx070.
6
Cox, Daniel A. 2022. “Generation Z and the Future of Faith in America.” The Survey Center on American Life.
https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-future-of-faith/.
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reasonable to assume that religion within American society will continue to decline over the next

few decades. However, what about the power that the institution of religion wields? Will it

decline within the relatively near future? It is difficult for one to say. On one hand, the number of

individuals who do not align with a religion increases, but on the other, those who are already

wielding religious power do not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. While religion may

begin to slip away from the primary focus of the American people, it will continue to thrive in

many communities and settings throughout the country. However, it is also key to call into

question the differing ideologies among religious groups; primarily Christian ones. The current

state of Christianity within the United States is that of confusion and disarray, as far-right

extremists claim to be motivated by their religious beliefs while some of those who are actively

fighting against these groups claim similar reasons, simply under different contexts. Will the

outdated beliefs of the far-right extremists become obsolete? Or will they gain more traction and

power? I would believe that they are soon to be abandoned, as the current state is merely a result

of a group of extreme individuals that have an inability to adapt to societal change. Thus, as

society changes, their presence will fall into irrelevance.

Overall, the social institution of religion holds a tremendous amount of power within the

modern United States, yet, views and opinions are ever-constantly shifting and adjusting to new

societal norms. The question is, will the institution as a whole be able to adapt to these changes,

or will it fail to do so and fall into obscurity? That answer can only truly be found within the

individual, as they are the ones who give the institution of religion its power. This paper was not

an attempt to prove or disprove the existence of certain religious beliefs, but rather an instrument

used to display the fact that even if these religions do not necessarily exist, their influence is very

real.
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References

“Americans' Views on Religion in Society, Politics.” 2019. Pew Research Center.

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/11/15/americans-have-positive-views-about-r

eligions-role-in-society-but-want-it-out-of-politics/.

Cox, Daniel A. 2022. “Generation Z and the Future of Faith in America.” The Survey Center on

American Life.

https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-future-of-faith/.

Jones, Jeffrey M. 2021. “How Religious Are Americans?” Gallup News.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/358364/religious-americans.aspx.

Korgen, Kathleen O. 2020. Sociology in Action. Edited by Kathleen O. Korgen and Maxine P.

Atkinson. N.p.: SAGE.

“The Role of Religion in Politics.” 2018. AP-NORC.

https://apnorc.org/projects/the-role-of-religion-in-politics/.

Whitehead, Andrew L., Samuel L. Perry, and Joseph O. Baker. 2018. “Make America Christian

Again: Christian Nationalism and Voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential

Election.” Sociology of Religion 79, no. 2 (January): 147.

https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srx070.