Who Is (Not) Afraid of Immigration? A Mediation Analysis Into the Ambivalence of Christian Religiosity for Immigration‐Related Attitudes

ABSTRACT This article systematically investigates the mediators linking Christian religiosity to immigration‐related attitudes in Germany. On the basis of current, representative data (ALLBUS 2023), four mediation models reveal multiple pathways through which religiosity shapes such attitudes. These pathways correspond to three distinct functions of religion: economic, value‐based, and social. Specifically, religious optimism mitigates perceptions of economic conflict over immigration. Nonfundamentalist religiosity encourages pro‐immigration attitudes through concern for diversity, tolerance, and prosociality. In addition, outgroup contact, encouraged by nonfundamentalist religiosity, reduces cultural distancing from immigrant groups. In contrast, religious fundamentalism reinforces social and cultural distancing. By identifying new mediators and refining the modeling of established ones, the study advances our understanding of the complex and ambivalent significance of Christian religiosity in shaping immigration‐related attitudes. The mediators examined reflect fundamental functions of religion that extend beyond the German context, suggesting that the proposed model has broader international relevance.