Belmont University Receives $575K Grant to Study Religion’s Impact on Political Polarization

Research to be conducted alongside the University of Washington

Belmont University, in collaboration with the University of Washington, has been awarded a $575,655 grant from the John Templeton Foundation to research the likelihood of religious engagement to reduce political polarization in the U.S. 

The three-year study, led by Dr. Adam Smiley of Belmont and Dr. Cheryl Kaiser of the University of Washington, will investigate how religious practices and beliefs might foster intellectual humility and compassion, potentially decreasing affective polarization between Democrats and Republicans.
 
"This research is crucial for identifying approaches to increase tolerance and civility in our politically divided nation," said Smiley. "Ultimately, our goal is to understand if deeper engagement with one's faith can lead to more tolerant attitudes across political divides. We hope to promote social cohesion and human flourishing through our findings." 
 
The study will consist of three main components:

1. A two-week daily survey of American participants to measure fluctuations in  religiosity levels and attitudes towards people from different political parties.
   
2. An experiment with Christian participants engaging in Bible study to observe its effects on political prejudice.
   
3. A two-part study examining Jewish and Muslim participants before and after their respective high holidays (Yom Kippur and Ramadan) to assess changes in affective polarization. 

Included in the award are funds to compensate two undergraduate researchers from Belmont and one Ph.D. student from the University of Washington. 

“One of our primary goals at Belmont is to give undergraduate students research opportunities. One thing we often hear from graduate programs is they look for students with research experience,” said Smiley. “We also know we have students who pay for school themselves, pay their own bills or support their families financially, so a priority of this grant was to ensure they are paid for their contributions.” 

Project deliverables include peer-reviewed papers, conference presentations and outreach with religious organizations. All materials and data will be openly accessible to encourage public engagement with the intersection of religion, character and politics.