Religious Belonging, Belief, and Practice in a Multi‐Faith Context: A Comparison of Sole‐Affiliation Adherents and Individuals With Multiple Religious Identities

ABSTRACT Using the Global East Survey of Religion and Spirituality, this paper explores the prevalence of multiple religious identities in Taiwan, where religion diffuses into social institutions and everyday life, leading to less exclusive affiliations. The findings indicate that a significant proportion of Taiwanese identify with multiple religions, primarily folk religion, Daoism, and Buddhism. This group displays distinctive patterns in religious beliefs and practices, particularly in their differentiation between religiously and culturally prescribed practices. While individuals with multiple religious identities are no more likely than those with a single religious identity to engage in religiously prescribed practices, they are significantly more active in culturally prescribed practices. We discuss how Taiwan's macro‐level cultural environment, influenced by specific political developments, contributes to its robust yet non‐secularizing modernization, offering theoretical implications in comparison to its OECD counterparts in East Asia.