Christian nationalism in the UK: study reveals weakening link between religion and national identity

A new study by think tank Theos has found that despite the persistent cultural link between Christianity and British identity, radical Christian nationalism remains the view of an absolute minority in the United Kingdom. According to preliminary data, only a small proportion of the population considers religious affiliation a prerequisite for being considered a «true Briton,» while support for the official status of Christian values in state institutions remains at a higher level.

According to Christian Today, a report by researcher Nick Spencer examines the concept of » Christian nationalism» through the lens of «co-terminality» — the belief that Christian and national identities are inextricably linked or dependent on each other. The survey found that 17% of UK adults agree with the statement that a person must be Christian to be truly British, with only 1% of respondents citing religion as the most important characteristic of national identity from a list of options.

The survey also found notable support for the role of Christianity in public life, with 41% of respondents believing that British laws should be based on Christian values and 40% in favor of prioritizing Christianity within religious education in schools. However, attitudes towards political leadership were more secular, with only 26% of respondents saying it was important that the country’s leader be a Christian.

The report’s findings point to a long-term trend towards a decline in the importance of religion to national identity. According to British Social Attitudes statistics, the proportion of people who consider Christianity an important factor in being ‘truly British’ has fallen from 32% in 1995 to 19% in 2023. Nick Spencer emphasizes that the term ‘Christian nationalism’ is often used in a disparaging way in political discourse, preventing an objective assessment. Theos estimates that only about 1% of the population adhere to rigid forms of this ideology, while a wider group (between 7% and 15%) share views close to nationalist ones, and a significant proportion of citizens support only a formal link between church and state.

The work is part of a large-scale project to study Christian nationalism in Europe, covering the UK, France, Germany, Romania, Poland and Hungary. The researchers plan to continue the analysis to clarify the nature of religion’s influence on contemporary European politics.