Revisiting Racialized Religious Contexts and Perceptions of White Discrimination and Privilege

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between racial composition of religious congregations and individual‐level perceptions of white discrimination and white privilege. Current framings suggest that organizations are racialized not solely because of their composition but also the implicit (or explicit) ideologies expressed within them. Research on American congregations has shown that colorblind ideology is prevalent in white and multiracial churches, whereas racially cognizant ideology is more prevalent in historically Black congregations. But until now, Latine and Asian American congregations have largely been subsumed as “non‐white.” Using data from the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post‐Election Survey, which includes large oversamples of Asian, Black, and Latine Americans, we examine differences among attenders of white, multiracial, and racial minority congregations, relative to non‐attenders. Multivariate analyses indicate that attenders of white or multiracial congregations are more likely to adopt colorblind interpretations, perceiving white discrimination while downplaying structural privilege. By contrast, attenders of predominantly Asian, Black, and Latine congregations, to a lesser extent, are more likely to recognize structural privilege while minimizing claims of white discrimination. These findings refine existing debates on religion and racial attitudes, underscore the analytic importance of including non‐attenders as a meaningful comparative group, and highlight the role of congregational racial context.