The Bible Belt: A Stronghold Of American Conservatism – Analysis

The United States is a country with numerous specificities rarely found in other nations. It is enough to mention the complex political system with significant powers granted to individual states, the dominant two-party system, the right to bear arms, a culture of individualism, and a multi-ethnic society rooted in the concept of the melting pot.

Although the U.S. is the best example of an immigrant country where people of different nationalities integrate into society, over time, a unique political and social geography has emerged. Significant regional differences ultimately led to the American Civil War in the mid-19th century.

Although the North (the Union) won the war against the South (the Confederacy), the differences persist to this day. The American South became the birthplace of the popular Bible Belt—a region where religion (Christian evangelical Protestantism) plays an extremely significant role in politics, society, culture, and daily life. It is the most religious and most conservative region in America, where traditional Christian values prevail in both theory and practice. Christian norms permeate literally all aspects of society. This stands in stark contrast to the New England region, known for its high level of atheism, similar to the state of Washington on the West Coast.

The Term and Geographic Scope

The term "Bible Belt" was first coined by American journalist and essayist H. L. Mencken when he wrote in a 1924 article for the "Chicago Daily Tribune": "The old game, I assume, is beginning to be played in the Bible Belt." Three years later, Mencken claimed the term as his own invention, and it began to be regularly used by the media and academia.

In 1948, the "Saturday Evening Post" declared Oklahoma City the capital of the Bible Belt. In a 1961 study, cultural geographer Wilbur Zelinsky described the region as an area where Protestant denominations, particularly Southern Baptists, Methodists, and Evangelicals, are the dominant Christian communities.

In 1978, geographer Charles Heatwole described the Bible Belt as a region (spatially the same area identified by Zelinsky) dominated by 24 fundamentalist Protestant denominations. Different authors define the geographical boundaries of the Bible Belt differently, but it can be stated that it fully comprises 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Eight states partially belong to the region: Virginia, Texas, Ohio, New Mexico, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Florida. If these states and parts of states were to be combined into a single entity, they would form an (ultra)conservative United States where Republicans would always rule.

The Four Waves of the Great Awakening

The Bible Belt began to form during an American historical process known as the Great Awakening. This was the rapid spread of Protestantism in four waves from the early 18th to the late 20th century. The First Great Awakening began in the 1730s and was marked by a rise in evangelical preaching. Evangelical pastors promoted the Word of God, as well as the importance of personal faith, repentance, and salvation. Prominent preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield traveled through the British colonies (which would later form the United States), delivering fiery sermons that attracted thousands of interested observers.

The Protestant movement had a significant impact on the inhabitants of the colonies at that time. It encouraged the founding of new denominations, particularly the Anglican and Episcopal churches. The Second Great Awakening began in the late 18th century and lasted until the mid-19th century. It further strengthened religious influence in rural areas, particularly in the South, Southwest, and Midwest of the United States. This period was marked by open-air religious gatherings that attracted large groups of existing and new believers. Preachers like Charles Grandison Finney encouraged conversion to Christianity and social reforms based on Christian principles, including the abolition of slavery and the promotion of public education. Baptists spread the most.

The Third Great Awakening extended from the mid to late 19th century and continued to strengthen the evangelical influence. The religious revival of 1858 was led by theologian Dwight L. Moody. The spread of faith also occurred within the armies of the Confederacy and the Union during the Civil War.

Moody's most famous quote was, "Faith makes all things possible... Love makes all things easy." This period was characterized by urbanization and industrialization, which led to the spread of the evangelical movement in cities as well. The founding of new denominations, missionary societies, and religious schools contributed to the further spread of religious ideas. In the 20th century, with the rise of Christian fundamentalism and in response to modernist trends, the Bible Belt solidified its conservative religious views.

The Fourth Great Awakening occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. It was led by the evangelical Jesus Movement, which introduced cultural changes and influenced Christian music and Christian media as a whole, including films, TV series, and more.

The Bible Belt in Numbers

Between 2005 and 2012, a non-governmental organization based in Pennsylvania, the American Bible Society, conducted a large study on Bible reading in metropolitan areas of the United States. The study identified 10 cities where the Bible is read the most: Knoxville (Tennessee), Shreveport (Louisiana), Chattanooga (Tennessee), Birmingham (Alabama), Jackson (Mississippi), Springfield (Missouri), Charlotte (North Carolina), Lynchburg (Virginia), Huntsville-Decatur (Alabama), and Charleston (West Virginia).

A 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center identified the top 10 states with the highest percentage of belief in the Bible as the literal Word of God: Mississippi (56%), Alabama (51%), South Carolina (49%), West Virginia (47%), Tennessee (46%), Arkansas (45%), Louisiana (44%), Georgia (41%), Kentucky (41%), and Texas (39%). According to a 2016 survey by the same organization, the top 10 most religious states are: Alabama (77%), Mississippi (77%), Tennessee (73%), Louisiana (71%), Arkansas (70%), South Carolina (70%), West Virginia (69%), Georgia (66%), Oklahoma (66%), and North Carolina (65%). These are all states within the Bible Belt region.

Cultural and Social Influence

In the Bible Belt, faith plays a crucial role in the daily lives of its residents. Churches are not only places of worship but also community centers where people gather for social activities and support. Family values and moral standards are based on biblical teachings, and religious leaders have significant influence in local communities. Churches organize various social events such as sports competitions, charity drives, and other gatherings that strengthen the sense of community among believers. Religious organizations raise funds for various humanitarian projects, providing assistance to the homeless, the poor, and the disadvantaged. Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving are celebrated with great enthusiasm. The holidays offer an opportunity for family and friends to come together.

In the social context, communities in the Bible Belt rely on conservative social norms rooted in biblical teachings. This is evident in their stance on issues such as marriage, family, and sexuality. Traditional models, where men are the breadwinners and women are homemakers, remain prevalent. Although these norms are slowly changing under the influence of broader society, religious influence remains strong.

Faith also affects the education system. In many schools, creationism is presented as an alternative theory to evolution, and prayer and Bible studies can be part of school activities. This approach to education reflects the strong connection between religion and daily life. Additionally, many private Christian schools and universities are located in this region, providing education that aligns with religious beliefs. Local radio and television programs often broadcast religious content, such as sermons, masses, and religious music. Many communities have their own Christian radio stations and television channels that serve as sources of information and entertainment. Christian music, including contemporary Christian rock, is very popular.

From a Democratic Stronghold to a Republican Bastion

In the Bible Belt, social conservatism dominates the political ideology. From the end of the Reconstruction Era in 1877 until the 1960s, the region was a stronghold of the Democratic Party, often referred to as the "Solid South." During this time, Democrats held all the levers of power in the southern states, maintaining white dominance, racial segregation, and discrimination against African Americans, including the denial of voting rights—these were the Jim Crow laws. It was effectively a one-party system. It's important to note that while Christian communities in the region never explicitly supported racism, they did support segregation. At that time, many churches were racially segregated, with separate congregations for white and black worshippers, a division that in some cases persists to this day.

The political landscape began to shift in the 1960s when, under the leadership of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the liberal Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. After signing the act, Johnson reportedly told his aide, Bill Moyers, "I think we just delivered the South to the Republican Party for a long time to come." And he was right. Soon, Republicans adopted a rhetoric that privileged white interests while neglecting those of African Americans.

Meanwhile, Democrats continued to pursue liberal secular policies, while Republicans embraced a conservative traditionalist religious agenda. As a result, voters in the Bible Belt began to change their political allegiance. By the 1964 presidential election, ultraconservative Republican Senator Barry Goldwater won in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. This was the first time since Reconstruction that a Republican had defeated a Democrat in the South. These trends continued.

The founding of organizations such as the Moral Majority during the 1970s and 1980s highlighted the political engagement of evangelical Christians. Religious leaders like Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell mobilized millions of believers to support conservative political candidates and policies that aligned with their religious beliefs. The Moral Majority was largely responsible for Ronald Reagan's victory in the 1980 election. Additionally, many Baptist pastors, including Falwell, became leading proponents of Christian Zionism in the U.S. and globally. Christian Zionists unconditionally and oddly support the State of Israel, hoping to hasten the Second Coming of Jesus. According to academic Tristan Sturm, the region is home to the largest number of Christian Zionists in the world—30 million of them.

Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas have voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election from 1980 to 2020. Oklahoma has supported the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1968, and Republicans have won every county in the state in every election since 2004. Other Bible Belt states have voted for Republican presidential candidates in most elections since 1980, with the Democratic candidate winning only once or twice. In the 2020 election, Biden narrowly won in Georgia.

Contentious Political Issues

The conservatism of the region's residents is reflected in their opposition to abortion rights and the LGBT agenda, as well as their support for creationism and the right to bear arms. The residents of the Bible Belt overwhelmingly support pro-life views, and many states within the region have passed laws that greatly restrict abortion. These policies reflect deeply rooted Christian beliefs about the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. Politicians who oppose abortion have strong support from Bible Belt voters, which has solidified Republican dominance in the region. The same goes for LGBT rights. Many communities adhere to traditional views on marriage and family, seeing marriage as a union between a man and a woman. These views lead to opposition to laws that allow same-sex marriages and expand LGBT rights, such as the right to adopt children. Politicians who advocate anti-LGBT positions, usually Republicans, can count on strong support from conservative voters.

Education policy is also heavily influenced by the religious beliefs of the population. In many schools, creationism is presented as an alternative theory to evolution, and prayer and Bible studies may be part of school activities. Conservative politicians support laws that allow for a greater presence of religious content in public schools, as well as the funding of private Christian schools. The right to bear arms is another key political issue in the Bible Belt. Many residents of the region strongly support the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and oppose any form of gun regulation. This stance is linked to a culture of self-sufficiency and personal freedom that is rooted in the region's history and tradition. Republican politicians who advocate for gun rights have significant support from voters.

Social Challenges in the Region

Despite being the most religious region in the U.S., the Bible Belt faces significant social challenges. Educational attainment rates in the Bible Belt are among the lowest in the country. Cardiovascular diseases, obesity, homicides, teenage pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections are among the highest in the nation, and poverty is prevalent.

The cause is not (as some cynics might suggest) the region's attachment to religion and God but rather a departure from Christian values. In many parts of the Bible Belt, schools are funded by local taxes, which can result in disparities in the quality of education between wealthy and poor areas. Low incomes and economic insecurity can limit access to education and make it difficult for students to complete high school and college. Traditional dietary habits in the region involve the consumption of processed foods and high-calorie meals, contributing to obesity and cardiovascular disease. The causes of poverty in the region include corruption among local power brokers, neglect by the federal government, inadequate education, natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, and the deindustrialization of the U.S.—a consequence of globalization and the relocation of American industrial companies to foreign countries like Mexico, China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Conclusion

The Bible Belt in the United States represents a unique region where religion has a pervasive influence on society, culture, and politics. In recent times, the region faces the challenges of modernization and secularization. As more young people leave their hometowns in search of education and careers in larger American cities, they often encounter different worldviews that can influence their religious beliefs. This phenomenon leads to a gradual decline in the number of practicing believers. Returning to their hometowns after living in urban environments requires adjustment, which can cause tensions within families that remain strongly committed to traditional values. Despite these challenges, the region continues to retain a strong religious identity, with Protestantism shaping the social norms, culture, education, and political landscape of the southern United States.