Multiple religious belonging

Multiple religious belonging, also known as double belonging, refers to the idea that individuals can belong to more than one religious tradition. While this is often seen as a common reality in regions such as Asia with its many non-exclusionary religions (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism), religious scholars have begun to discuss multiple religion belonging with respect to religious traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Those who practice double belonging claim to be an adherent of two different religions at the same time or incorporate the practices of another religion into their own faith life. It is increasing with globalisation. One such example is a person attending a Christian church but also finding meaning in yoga and in forms of meditation inspired by Eastern traditions, and enjoying attending a Jewish Seder at Passover.

The phenomenon of double belonging can occur within the same religion, where people hold membership in more than one Christian denomination, for example a Christian who is a church member of both the Catholic Church and the Religious Society of Friends. In the United States, nearly half of practicing Christians (46%) attend more than one church. The participation of Christians in church services of another denomination is seen as an expression of Christian ecumenism. In Christian monasticism, certain monasteries of one denomination accept oblates of the various Christian denominations that exist; for example, The Congregation of the Servants of Christ at St. Augustine’s House in Michigan, a Lutheran monastery, accepts Christian oblates who are Lutheran, as well as non-Lutheran. Certain church buildings are shared by two Christian denominations, such as the Cathedral of St Peter in Bautzen, which is shared by the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church; both Lutherans and Catholics there will often worship together on occasions such as the New Year's Eve watchnight Mass.