Secularization as an Economic and Cultural Phenomenon: A Cross-National Analysis

Previous research indicates the importance of the religious market theory in explaining cross-national differences in secularization. In this article, religious market variables are compared with indices of modernization and culture in explaining differences in religious mentality and religious activity. Data from the 1990 European Values Survey for 16 countries are used. In general, culture and modernization are more important than the religious market structure. Although church membership is explained by the religious market structure, the effects are opposed to the expectations. Of the modernization and cultural indices, development of welfare state and masculinity/femininity appear to be the most relevant characteristic. Of the market variables, level of state regulation is more important than religious pluralism.