New threat of culture wars? The religious roots of public opinion polarization on morality issues in Europe

Abstract

Cultural polarization divides European public opinion on moral issues, from Italy’s refusal to register children of same-sex couples to abortion protests in Poland. These divisions stem from historical church-state conflicts in various religious cultures. This polarization is particularly strong in Catholic countries but less so in Protestant ones. Using data from 19 European democracies, I show a persistent gap between Catholic and Protestant countries. On the other hand, I show a limited effect of economic prosperity. Developed countries no longer lead in moral issue divisions, with recent surveys showing no or reversed differences. Younger generations are no less principled on moral issues in the Catholic contexts, with cohort differences in polarization even growing significantly between 2008 and 2017, highlighting the enduring impact of religious traditions among younger cohorts.