ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the persistence of religious ideas amongst ordinary Protestants and Catholics who do not necessarily see themselves as religious. It maps the ways in which religious ideas are used to understand politics, and the ways in which politics influences religious ideas. The term ‘religious ideology’ is used. This simply refers to concepts that are informed by religious doctrines but that are not concerned with answering spiritual questions. In this way religion can be socially significant for those who have had a religious socialization but do not have strong religious beliefs or do not practise regularly in the present. This chapter argues that this trend is particularly pronounced amongst Protestants.
