Religion is increasingly recognized as a defining feature of political life and as a constitutive element of individual and collective identities. The question is no longer whether religion matters, but how. The contributors to this discussion—which began as a session at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, co-sponsored by the sections on the Sociology of Religion and Culture—explore this question through the lens of political contestation over national identity.

These essays show how groups in Western Europe and the United States draw on religious and secular symbols when determining belonging.

Read the introduction from editorial board member Ruth Braunstein here.

Follow the discussion below.