Sociology

Although the USA has high levels of religious participation (such as church attendance), this does not necessarily mean that it is not undergoing a process of secularization. Herberg (1955) suggested that the mainstream religions in America – Protestantism, Catholicism and Judaism – were practised in relation to ideas of cultural belonging more than theological beliefs. This was especially important for those who had migrated to the USA, as for example attending church and worshipping with others gave them a shared sense of ‘being American’. 419-420