Church-state relations and the association of religiosity with values: A study of catholics in six countries

Past research has shown that individual religiosity relates positively to valuing conformity, security, tradition, and benevolence toward close others, and negatively to valuing stimulation, self-direction, universalism, power, and achievement. These findings replicated in four different religions in five countries where church-state relations were cordial. The authors postulate that opposition between church and state modifies the associations of values with religiosity because it influences the social and psychological functions of religiosity in society. Data from samples in six Roman Catholic countries (N = 2,274) confirmed the following hypotheses: In countries with oppositional relations between church and state during the years that preceded data gathering (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary), religiosity correlates less positively with valuing conformity and security, more negatively with valuing power and achievement, and more positively with valuing universalism than in countries with cordial separation of church and state (Italy, Spain, Portugal).