"Miles makes a compelling case for examining religious social identity in a way that moves beyond affiliation. The work is a welcome addition to the literature on American political behavior." —Samuel Snideman, Religious Studies Review

"At just the right time, Matt Miles offers this sustained treatment of how political and religious identities intersect, embracing the causal ambiguity between them to explore questions of system support, trust, and political behavior. His book should be required reading for scholars of religion and politics." —Paul A. Djupe, Denison University
While existing scholarship addresses the influence of religious affiliation on political attitudes and behaviors in the United States, a number of puzzling questions remain unanswered. In response, Matthew Miles demonstrates that a more complete conceptualization of religion as a social identity can help to explain many of those puzzles. As he explores the impact, both positive and negative, of religious identity on political attitudes, he also shows that the religion-politics relationship is not a one-way street.