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New study shows that anti-Muslim prejudice in Western Europe is rooted in nativist and authoritarian attitudes, not Christian belief
Islamophobia in Western Europe is driven far more by anti-immigrant nativism and authoritarian attitudes than by religious belief, new research from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) shows. A study by Professor Kai Arzheimer of the JGU Department of Political Science, published in Research & Politics, reveals a strong connection between anti-Muslim prejudice and nativism. It also points to a robust link between Islamophobia and right-wing authoritarian attitudes. By contrast, individual Christian religiosity shows virtually no connection to either of these tendencies – challenging the common assumption that religious belief fuels Islamophobia in Western Europe.
Professor Kai Arzheimer, who heads the German Politics and Political Sociology research unit at the JGU Institute of Political Science, analyzed data from nearly 75,000 people in Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The study was carried out as part of the SCoRE project, an international research initiative examining political attitudes and radicalization across Europe. It used a detailed survey that measured key far-right attitudes – nativism, authoritarianism, and populism – with unusual precision.
Measuring the roots of anti-Muslim prejudice
The analysis focused on citizens of the four countries and excluded individuals belonging to non-Christian religions, while retaining those with no religious belief at all. It used an advanced statistical method to estimate how five central factors relate to one another:
• Christian religiosity, measured through church involvement;
• nativism, understood as perceived cultural or economic threat from immigrants;
• Islamophobia, captured through measures of anti-Muslim prejudice;
• right-wing authoritarianism, reflected in support for authority, punitive measures, and traditional norms; and
• populism, defined as distrust of elites combined with an idealized notion of "the people."
"The findings are striking," said Arzheimer. "Across all four countries, the correlation between personal religiosity and Islamophobia is practically zero. People who regularly attend church or identify with a Christian tradition are not systematically more likely to hold Islamophobic views than their secular counterparts." By contrast, the research revealed a strong and positive association between Islamophobia and both nativism and authoritarian attitudes. These patterns were consistent across all four countries, pointing to a shared dynamic throughout Western Europe.
"Christianism" as strategic use of Christian identity
"These findings have significant implications for understanding the rise of a strategy used by some far-right parties in Western Europe, who present themselves as defenders of so-called 'Christian values' against an alleged Islamic threat," said Arzheimer. Scholars refer to this strategy as "Christianism," meaning the political use of Christian identity for cultural or nationalist purposes. Arzheimer's research suggests that this strategy may be effective precisely because it separates genuine Christian religiosity from anti-Muslim prejudice.
"Far-right actors have crafted a narrative portraying Christianity as a cultural symbol of 'Western civilization' while simultaneously framing Islam as a threat to 'our' cultural identity," Arzheimer explained. "This allows them to appeal to a broad group of voters who are increasingly secular yet receptive to nationalist and anti-immigrant messages."
Differences between Europe and the U.S.
The study shows how far-right parties can avoid appearing overtly racist by presenting Christianity as a cultural symbol rather than a faith centered on humility, universalism, and compassion. "This tactic allows the far right to appeal to voters who are concerned about cultural change – and it also fits into a broader pattern of civilizational populism," said Arzheimer.
Furthermore, the research helps explain why Western Europe has no genuinely religious far-right parties, in contrast to the United States of America. While in the U.S. certain strands of White Christian religiosity are closely linked to racism and hostility toward immigrants and Muslims, Western Europe does not offer a comparable pool of attitudes on which such movements could build.
"In light of these results, it becomes clear why some West European far-right parties have turned to Christianist narratives," Arzheimer concluded. "What remains uncertain is whether this strategy is more effective than others – and whether this culturalized use of 'Christian values' can survive in increasingly secular societies, especially when many church leaders are openly critical of the far right."
Video:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpgHKAz8cPU – Video abstract summarizing Professor Kai Arzheimer's research on Islamophobia in Western Europe
Related links:
• https://www.kai-arzheimer.com/ – Professor Dr Kai Arzheimer
• https://innen.politik.uni-mainz.de/en/ – German Politics and Political Sociology research unit at the JGU Institute of Political Science
• https://politik.uni-mainz.de/en/ – JGU Institute of Political Science
Professor Dr. Kai Arzheimer
Institute of Political Science
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
55099 Mainz
phone: +49 6131 39-23763
e-mail: arzheimer@politik.uni-mainz.de
https://innen.politik.uni-mainz.de/en/
K. Arzheimer, Islamophobia in Western Europe is unrelated to religiosity but highly correlated with far right attitudes, Research & Politics, 10 July 2025,
DOI: 10.1177/20531680251351895
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20531680251351895
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