Explaining the cross-national variation in the relationship between religious organization membership and civic organization participation

Abstract We examine the relationship between belonging to religious organizations and participating in nonreligious civic organizations through use of a large international sample of individuals. Moreover, we assess how this relationship is contingent upon social context, that is Protestant percentage, economic condition, and democratic level of a nation. Using data from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey (2010–2014), our multilevel analyses reveal that religious organization members are more likely than non-members to participate in civic organizations cross-nationally. In addition, societal context is found to moderate this association. Specifically, the differences between religious organization members and non-members in this regard are larger in societies characterized by a smaller Protestant population, poorer economic condition, and nondemocratic institutions. We discuss our findings in light of theories on religion, social capital, and social context.