A research note on the relation between religiosity and racism: The importance of the way in which religious contents are being processed

According to Wulff (1991, 1997), the various approaches to religion can be located in a two-dimensional space along the bipolar dimensions Exclusion vs. Inclusion of Transcendence and Literal vs. Symbolic. Previous research has suggested that these dimensions are differently related to racism. Racism would be unrelated to the Exclusion vs. Inclusion of Transcendence dimension, whereas it would be negatively related to the Literal vs. Symbolic dimension. Results of the present study, using the Post-Critical Belief Scale (Duriez, Fontaine & Hutsebaut, 2000) as a measure of Wulff’s concepts in 3 different samples (total N = 2171) gathered in Flanders (Belgium), support these hypotheses. The Literal vs. Symbolic dimension was found to significantly contribute to the prediction of racism, even after differences in right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance and empathy were taken into account.