The future of non-Christian religions in Canada: Patterns of religious identification among recent immigrants and their second generation, 1981-2001

Abstract

This paper addresses the question whether recent immigration to Canada from non-European and mostly non-Christian parts of the world is leading to increasing religious pluralism in Canada, rather than only enhanced ethno-cultural pluralism. Testing Reginald Bibby's hypothesis that, in spite of this immigration, Christianity will continue as the overwhelmingly dominant religious identification in Canada, this article analyzes data from the 1971-2001 decennial censuses. It finds that religious pluralism as measured by number and percent of adherents to major non-Christian religions is increasing and will likely continue to increase because of the composition of continuing immigration. There are, however, also countervailing trends that support continued Christian dominance as well as an increase in no religious identification. These trends include patterns in religious identification over time and the enigmatic effect of rising multiple ethnicity.