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Religious affiliation in Minnesota (2014)

  Lutheranism (26%)

  Other Protestants (24%)

  Catholic Church (22%)

  Mormon (1%)

  Other Christians (1%)

  Judaism (1%)

  Islam (1%)

  Other/unspecified (4%)

  Unaffiliated (20%)

Religion in Minnesota is characterized by a variety of beliefs and practices that has historically been dominated by Christianity. The state has no official church, adhering to the Establishment Clause and Everson v. Board of Education. The right to freedom of religion is a constitutionally protected liberty in Minnesota.

Prior to European colonization, the area now known as Minnesota was home to indigenous religions and belief systems, each with its own customs and spiritual practices. The mid-19th century saw the establishment of various Christian denominations as the region became a new home for waves of European immigrants, each bringing their own religious traditions. This has led to a landscape where Protestantism, particularly Lutheran denominations, alongside Roman Catholicism, form a majority of the state's religious identity.

Over time, the state's religious makeup has seen changes. The 21st century has been marked by growing numbers of non-Christian religions in Minnesota. Recent data also indicates that about 20% of the state now identifies with no religion. Nevertheless, faith remains a significant aspect of life for many Minnesotans: 87% of the population expresses belief in God, 54% consider religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives, and 34% participate in religious services at least weekly.

History

Indigenous beliefs and first missionaries

The first religious influences in Minnesota were the spiritual practices of Native American tribes, such as the Dakota and Ojibwe (Anishinaabe), whose traditional beliefs focused on nature and ancestral spirits and included Midewiwin and Wabunowin. In 1680, the spiritual landscape of the Lake Pepin region, claimed by France and now part of Minnesota and Wisconsin, was marked by the arrival of Father Louis Hennepin, a Catholic missionary from Belgium. Despite the efforts of Hennepin and subsequent Protestant missionaries, the conversion of the Dakota and the Ojibwe peoples to Christianity was largely unsuccessful due to the differences between their spiritual beliefs (e.g., Wakan Tanka) and those of the Christian faith.

European settlement

Norwegian Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie around 1925

By the time the Roman Catholic diocese of Saint Paul was established in 1851, Christianity was firmly rooted in Minnesota. With the gradual increase of population about the chapel, the community Archbishop John Ireland, serving from 1888 to 1918, was instrumental in this growth, advocating for "Americanism" and the integration of Catholic children into public schools. Ethnic divisions, particularly between German and Irish Catholics, marked the state's Catholic community, affecting both cultural practices and political dynamics.

Protestant Christian denominations, particularly Lutheranism, took root with the arrival of Scandinavian and German immigrants. Scandinavians in Minnesota formed several Lutheran synods as well as their own Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, and Mission Covenant churches. Some degree of reconciliation eventually emerged, and between 1890 and 1930 a series of mergers produced several new Lutheran churches. This ultimately fed into the 1988 formation of the mainline Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The ecclesiastical fragmentation and the schismatic nature of Protestantism in Minnesota, however, lessened its cultural dominance. This period also saw the rise of African American Protestant churches and the spread of movements like the Holiness movement.

Native Americans in Minnesota faced renewed efforts to suppress their culture, including the legacy of missionary-run boarding schools. This era was also marked by spiritual movements like the Ghost Dance, which faced severe repression.

19th and 20th centuries

Minnesota's Protestant conservatism, particularly among Baptists, was exemplified by William Bell Riley, a Minneapolis pastor who led the fundamentalist movement and opposed Darwinian evolution and harbored anti-Semitic views. His influence nearly led to a ban on teaching evolution in public schools in 1927, but this was defeated due to concerns over religious freedom. By the mid-20th century, Riley handed over his ministry to Billy Graham, who later established his evangelistic association in Minneapolis.

Ethnic and doctrinal divisions within churches diminished throughout the 20th century in Minnesota, giving way to a broader progressive-conservative split. This divide became more pronounced with issues such as religious and racial discrimination, anti-Semitism, and gender roles in society. The debate over distinct gender roles created a schism between progressive mainline Protestant churches, conservative evangelical and Pentecostal churches, and the Catholic Church.

By the 1960s and 1970s, the religious landscape in Minnesota was also shaped by political issues such as abortion and LGBT rights. In 1968, the American Indian Movement was formed in Minneapolis by two Ojibwe leaders to reconnect Dakota and other native peoples with their language and spirituality. The founding of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, also in 1968, marked a significant political influence that disrupted traditional party alignments, including a pro-life evangelical Republican governor and a pro-choice Catholic U.S. senator in 1978.

Recent history

In recent decades, Minnesota has seen growth in other Christian denominations, such as Methodists, Baptists, and Eastern Orthodox, as well as non-Christian religions. Immigration from Southeast Asia has led to the establishment of Buddhist and Hmong religious communities, while immigration from the Middle East and Somalia has contributed to the growth of the Muslim population. Additionally, Minnesota is home to a Jewish community with a history dating back to the late 19th century.

Minnesota also has a growing number of people who identify as non-religious, in line with national trends. The Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study showed that as of 2014, 20% of Minnesotans identified as unaffiliated with any religion, a category encompassing atheists, agnostics, and those who do not identify with any particular religion.

Christianity

Protestantism

About half of Minnesotans are Protestants. Mainline Protestants constitute 29%, evangelical Protestants 19%, and historically black Protestants 2% of the adult population. The Lutheran denomination, in particular, has a strong presence, with over a quarter of the population identifying with it.

Family	Percent	Church(es)
Lutheran	26.0	ELCA, LCMS, WELS, ELS
Nondenominational	5.0	—
Methodist	3.5	UMC
Baptist	3.0	SBC

Roman Catholicism

Roman Catholicism is practiced by 22.1% of Minnesotans.

Other Christian denominations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) reports 33,365 members in Minnesota. The St. Paul Minnesota Temple, located in Saint Paul, which was dedicated in 1982.

Other religions

Collectively, it's estimated that members of non-Christian faiths constitute about 5% of the state.

Islam

Muslims have been in Minnesota since the 1880s, originally coming from the Ottoman Empire. Racially restrictive laws in the 1920s limited non-European immigration, affecting this growth. African Americans started converting to Islam in the 1920s, influenced by groups like the Moorish Science Temple and the Nation of Islam. The 1965 immigration reforms led to more diverse Muslim immigration, including educated individuals from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

The Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis is a densely populated enclave of several thousand Somali Muslims.

In late 20th and early 21st centuries, civil wars in countries like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan led to more Muslims arriving in the US as refugees. Results of a 2014 Pew Research report put the Muslim population of Minnesota at 1%, while more recent estimates put the number at from 140,000 (about 2.5%). In 2020, a little over 91,000 Somalis lived in Minnesota, most of whom are Muslim. They mostly live in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and St. Cloud. Minneapolis became the first major city U.S. city to permit the adhan to be broadcast year-round. Minnesota has over seventy-six mosques, Islamic schools, and community centers.

Muslims in Minnesota are politically active, with notable figures like Keith Ellison and Ilhan Omar. The state's chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is one of the most active in the US. There are also organizations like the Masjid Ul-Hub (Masjid of Love) which organize events for marginalized groups like LGBT+ muslims.

Judaism

Minnesota's first Jewish community formed in St. Paul in the mid-19th century. Eastern European Jews arrived from 1882. Antisemitism peaked in the 1930s and 40s, notably during the 1938 gubernatorial election. The situation improved significantly with Mayor Hubert Humphrey's reforms in Minneapolis in 1945. Jews became politically active, with several Jewish mayors and senators elected, despite making up less than 1% of the state's population.

The Jewish Virtual Library estimates the Jewish population in Minnesota is about 65,900 (1% of all adults) in 2019. Pew estimated that Judaism is practiced by between 0.5% and 1% of the population.

The University of Minnesota has a Center for Jewish Studies, and there are efforts for interfaith understanding. Noteable Jews hailing from Minnesota include musician Bob Dylan, Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey, and U.S. senators Al Frankin, Norm Coleman and Paul Wellstone.

Eastern religions

Minnesota Buddhist Vihara in McKinley, Minneapolis.

Minnesota has over 55,000 Indian residents, mainly in the Twin Cities. The Hindu Society of Minnesota built North America's largest Hindu temple, the Hindu Temple of Minnesota, in 2006. This was later surpassed by the Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Jersey.

Minnesota also has about 10,000 Cambodians, mostly Theravada Buddhists from the Khmer ethnic group. Most live in the Twin Cities and fled Democratic Kampuchea during the 1970s. The U.S. accepted Cambodian refugees from 1979, following the overthrow of Pol Pot. In 2019, a Buddhist monestary was inagurated in Chisago City modeled after the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.

The Sikh Society of Minnesota, established in the 1980s, serves a community of 400-500 families.

Irreligion

See also: Irreligion in the United States

See also

• Religion in the United States

References

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA (license statement/permission). Text taken from Tradition, Schism, and Continuity in Minnesota’s Communities of Faith​, Doug Rossinow, MNopedia.

Further reading

Islam

• Ibrahim, Mukhtar M.; Xaykaothao, Doualy (2016-01-27). "Listen: What it's like to be Muslim in Minnesota". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-12-22.

Judaism

• "Collection: Jews in Northern Minnesota collection". University of Minnesota Archival Collections Guides. 2023-12-24. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
• "North Side Memories: An Oral History of Minnesota's Largest Jewish Neighborhood". Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)