Author: Frédéric Castel, Chargé de cours aux départements de Sciences des religions et d'Études urbaines et touristiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Outsiders may find it disconcerting to hear the religious references, whether sincere or opportunistic, that have been working their way into U.S. political discourse since the Reagan years, including some by certain religious leaders. Despite this, the role of religious identities in American elections cannot be decoded by simply pitting the faithful against secularized progressives. Even quite far on the left, it’s not rare to hear male and female politicians referring to their faith. Although the leaders of the Christian right are united in their goal of gaining privileged access to the Oval Office, the different religious populations in the…