Belmont and University of Washington researchers team up to study religion’s role in reducing polarization

Exterior of Belmont University (Photo by Belmont)

Belmont University announced a $575,655 grant award from the John Templeton Foundation to research how religious engagement could help to reduce political polarization in the U.S.

According to a news release, the grant will fund a three-year study in collaboration with the University of Washington, led by Dr. Adam Smiley of Belmont and Dr. Cheryl Kaiser of the University of Washington, to investigate “how religious practices and beliefs might foster intellectual humility and compassion, potentially decreasing affective polarization between Democrats and Republicans.”

“This research is crucial for identifying approaches to increase tolerance and civility in our politically divided nation,” Smiley said in a public statement. “Ultimately, our goal is to understand if deeper engagement with one’s faith can lead to more tolerant attitudes across political divides. We hope to promote social cohesion and human flourishing through our findings.”

The announcement said the study will consist of a two-week daily survey of American participants to measure fluctuations in religiosity levels and attitudes towards people from different political parties, as well as an experiment with Christian participants engaging in Bible study to observe its effects on political prejudice. In addition, researchers will discuss changes in affective polarization after religious holidays.

“One of our primary goals at Belmont is to give undergraduate students research opportunities. One thing we often hear from graduate programs is they look for students with research experience,” Smiley said. “We also know we have students who pay for school themselves, pay their own bills or support their families financially, so a priority of this grant was to ensure they are paid for their contributions.”

According to the announcement, the study will result in peer-reviewed papers, conference presentations and outreach with religious organizations discussing their findings. The announcement said all materials and data will be openly accessible to encourage public engagement with the intersection of religion, character and politics.