# Can religion save American democracy? > Two thinkers argue that declining religiosity has deepened polarization, and liberals must engage with faith communities to restore democratic norms. - Title: Can religion save American democracy? · Vox | Shortify - Summary: Two thinkers argue that declining religiosity has deepened polarization, and liberals must engage with faith communities to restore democratic norms. A new… - Keywords: american democracy, religion, polarization, secular liberals, evangelical christianity, matthew kaemingk, shadi hamid, organized religion, christian nationalism, pluralism, news, culture - Source: Vox — https://vox.com/politics/505675/can-religion-save-democracy-book-christian-nationalism-pluralism - Author: Christian Paz - Published: 2026-10-13T10:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 4 min - Topics: american democracy, religion, polarization, secular liberals, evangelical christianity, matthew kaemingk, shadi hamid, organized religion, christian nationalism, pluralism, news, culture ## Religion as threat to democracy Right-wing religious leaders including televangelist Robert Jeffress have endorsed Christian nationalism. Some evangelical pastors and conservative Catholic intellectuals openly ponder if America should become a theocracy. ## A counterintuitive solution But what if the solution to this anti-democratic slide is also religion, more religion than the US currently has? Two thinkers from opposing ideological ends argue declining religiosity has worsened polarization. ## The book's central argument Conservative evangelical Matthew Kaemingk and liberal Muslim writer Shadi Hamid argue in Can Religion Save Democracy? that religious institutions play a necessary role in American public life, tempering emotions and fundamentalism. ## Religious passions shift to politics Kaemingk and Hamid write that as Americans exit churches, they transfer religious passions to politics. Christian faith functions less as moral constraint and more as political cudgel against opponents. > As Americans exit churches in droves, they're not leaving behind their religious passions. Instead, they're transferring those passions to the political battlefield. ## Hamid on secular engagement Shadi Hamid told the author: We're not trying to convert nonbelievers. We want secular readers to embrace that religion can play a positive role, even if they don't believe God exists. > We're not trying to convert [nonbelievers]. Believing is one thing, but believing that religion can play a positive role is another. ## The religion-shaped hole Kaemingk and Hamid argue there is an innate religion-shaped hole in people that has been replaced with politics and secular ideologies. Loss of religion has meant rise of new fanaticism without religion's accountability. ## Kuyper's insight on human nature They connect their argument to Dutch philosopher Abraham Kuyper's idea that all people are religious and something like religious fervor powers all political movements. Religion is pervasive, public, and pluriform. ## Spiritual passions shift elsewhere Kaemingk and Hamid write that if all humans desire ultimate belief and belonging, erasing religion won't extinguish spiritual passions. They will simply shift to politics, candidates, and secular creeds. > If Kuyper is correct that all human beings desire ultimate belief and belonging, then erasing or sequestering religion won't extinguish our spiritual passions. They will simply shift elsewhere. ## Quasi-religious fervor in politics From two thousand sixteen to two thousand twenty-four, Trump's strongman appeal generated cult of personality, while anti-Trump resistance took on quasi-religious qualities: in-group markers, language, customs, and BlueAnon theories. ## Left's dismissal of religion Kaemingk and Hamid argue people on the left often denigrate religion and religious people, dismissing those defending it in public square or forcing them to adopt secular language instead of bringing full selves. ## Openness and respect as solution The way out of stalemate, they suggest, is for people on the left to be open, curious, and respectful with the devoutly faithful, whether neighbors or candidates running for office. ## Practical recommendations The authors recommend prayer or prayer-like practices for nonbelievers to understand opponents better. They suggest meditating on scriptural teachings about forgiveness, debate, disagreement, and why earthly politics shouldn't be taken so seriously. ## For religious and secular liberals Religious liberals should return to congregations and specific churches to become part of community and find purpose. Nonreligious liberals should reexamine ideological priorities and engage with organized religion to understand religious worldview. ## Liberals' role in polarization Kaemingk and Hamid argue liberals are not blameless. Their denigration of organized religion around the turn of this century, combined with leaving institutional churches, contributed to capture by unsavory political opponents. ## The argument's central problem If religion is so good at moderating people, why hasn't it tempered emotions among the religious already? The most loyal Republican voters have been evangelical and white Catholic Christians with above-average religious participation. > If religion is so good at moderating people, why hasn't it been able to temper emotions among the religious already? ## Trump's distorting effect Hamid acknowledged this challenge but argued it's Trump-specific: Many evangelicals have let partisan loyalties take precedence over religious commitments. Evangelicals aren't going to church as much as they used to on average. > Many evangelicals have let partisan loyalties take precedence over religious commitments. ## Democrats embrace religious candidates Some promising Democratic candidates in red states are religious, including Texas Senate nominee James Talarico and Kansas Senate nominee the Rev.Adam Hamilton.Potential twenty twenty-eight presidential candidates like Gov.Andy Beshear and Gov. ## Pope Leo's support for the argument Pope Leo the fourteenth made a similar case in France for secular liberals to reexamine religious liberty. A Christian in public service guided by faith cannot be considered a proselytizer or threat to national unity. > A Christian engaged in public service and guided by the light of his or her conscience, illumined by faith, cannot be considered a proselytizer or a threat to the unity of the nation. ## Religion and far-right movements Aboard a plane to Rome, Pope Leo pointed to decline of religion in Germany as possibly facilitating rise of far-right movement that cloaks itself in religious language, arguing religion must have role in public square. ## Living together in pluralism The recent creation of Pentagon's Office of Religious Affairs and invocation of God to support military action make this an unsavory ask for liberals upset about religious nationalism. ## Key takeaway A new book argues that declining religiosity among liberals has worsened political polarization and eroded democracy, proposing that secular Americans engage more openly with religious communities and traditions.