Michael Brooks
The religious composition of the Supreme Court has been a topic of interest for many Americans, especially given the court's history of predominantly Protestant justices. The current Supreme Court comprises six Catholics, two Protestants, and one Jew, which is not reflective of the religious diversity of the United States. This has sparked discussions and raised questions about the representation of various religious groups in the country's highest court. The six Catholic justices are John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of justices appointed to the court | 116 |
| Number of justices who were Catholic | 15 (one other justice, Sherman Minton, began practicing Catholicism after leaving the court) |
| Percentage of justices who were Catholic | 13% |
| Number of justices who were Protestant | 92 |
| Percentage of justices who were Protestant | 79.3% |
| Number of justices who were Jewish | 8 |
| Percentage of justices who were Jewish | 6.9% |
| Number of justices with no known religious affiliation | 1 |
| Percentage of justices with no known religious affiliation | 0.9% |
| Number of Catholic justices on the court | 6 |
| Number of Protestant justices on the court | 2 |
| Number of Jewish justices on the court | 1 |
| Percentage of U.S. adults who identify as Catholic | 22% |
| Percentage of U.S. adults who identify as Jewish | 2% |
| Percentage of U.S. adults who identify as Protestant | 45% |
| Percentage of U.S. adults who have no religious affiliation | 21% |
| Percentage of U.S. adults who see the Supreme Court as "friendly" toward religion | 52% (for Democrats and independents who lean Democratic) and 18% (for Republicans and GOP leaners) |
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What You'll Learn
Historical religious composition of the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has historically been predominantly Protestant. When the Supreme Court was established in 1789, its first members were almost all Protestant. Of the 116 justices appointed to the court, 92 have been from various Protestant denominations. For its first 180 years, justices were almost always white male Protestants of Anglo or Northwestern European descent.
However, this has not always been the case. The first non-Protestant justices, Chief Justice Taney and Edward Douglass White, were appointed in 1894 and were both Roman Catholics. They sat as the only non-Protestants on the bench. While they did face some anti-Catholic bigotry, their religion was not a significant issue, unlike the court's first Jewish justice, Louis Brandeis, who was appointed in 1916 and faced anti-Semitism.
The 20th century saw the appointment of the first African-American justice, Thurgood Marshall, in 1967, as well as the first female justice, Sandra Day O'Connor, in 1981. The religious composition of the court has continued to evolve, with the appointment of Neil Gorsuch, a Protestant, in 2017, and the more recent appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the second Protestant on the court, in 2022.
As of 2025, the court consists of six Catholics (John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett), two Protestants (Neil Gorsuch and Ketanji Brown Jackson), and one Jew (Elena Kagan). This composition is not reflective of the U.S. population, as only 22% identify as Catholic, 2% as Jewish, and 45% as non-Catholic Christian or Protestant. The rise of the "nones," or those with no formal religious identity, which make up 21% of the U.S. population, is also not represented on the court.
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Religious diversity of the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States has long been predominantly Protestant. When it was established in 1789, the first members of the court were almost all Protestant. Of the 116 justices who have been appointed to the court, 92 have been from various Protestant denominations.
The first appointment of a Jewish justice occurred in 1916, when Louis Brandeis was appointed following a tumultuous hearing process. The first African-American justice, Thurgood Marshall, was appointed in 1967. The first female justice, Sandra Day O'Connor, was appointed in 1981, and the first Italian-American justice, Antonin Scalia, was appointed in 1986.
The current Supreme Court consists of six Catholics, two Protestants, and one Jew. The six Catholic justices are Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. The two Protestant justices are Neil Gorsuch and Ketanji Brown Jackson, and the sole Jewish justice is Elena Kagan.
The religious composition of the Supreme Court has been a topic of discussion and concern, as it does not reflect the religious diversity of the United States population. While the Court has a high percentage of Catholic representation, the percentage of Catholics in the general population is lower. Similarly, the proportion of Jewish justices exceeds the percentage of Jews in the population. On the other hand, Protestants, who make up a significant portion of the population, are underrepresented on the Court.
The religious makeup of the Supreme Court has raised questions about the potential influence of religious views on legal decisions. According to surveys, a majority of Americans believe that Supreme Court justices should not bring their religious beliefs into their rulings. However, many also feel that this has been happening too frequently in recent decisions.
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Religious affiliation of individual justices
The US Supreme Court has had a predominantly Protestant composition for most of its history. Of the 116 justices appointed to the court, 92 have been from various Protestant denominations. The court's first members, who were appointed in 1789, were almost uniformly Protestant.
However, in recent years, the court has seen a shift towards a Catholic majority. In 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch, who was raised Catholic but later attended an Episcopal church, to the court. The appointment of Brett Kavanaugh extended the Catholic majority on the court, and the subsequent appointment of Amy Coney Barrett increased this majority to six Catholic members, or seven if Gorsuch is considered a Catholic.
Historically, there has also been representation of Jewish justices on the Supreme Court. Louis Brandeis, appointed in 1916, was the court's first Jewish justice. Since then, there have been eight Jewish justices in total, including Benjamin Cardozo, who identified as an agnostic but was proud of his Jewish heritage, and Elena Kagan, who represents 11% of the nine justices.
The religious composition of the Supreme Court has been a topic of interest and discussion, with some expressing concern about the overrepresentation of certain religious groups and the potential influence of religious views on judicial decisions. However, others argue that justices tend to vote according to their political views rather than religious beliefs, and that religious diversity on the court can inspire public confidence in its rulings and legitimacy.
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Influence of religion on Supreme Court decisions
The Supreme Court of the United States has had a long history of religious influence, with 92 out of 116 justices being from various Protestant denominations, 15 being Catholics, and 8 being Jewish. The court's religious composition has been a topic of discussion, with its current makeup of six Catholics, two Protestants, and one Jewish justice not reflective of the US population's religious diversity.
The religious beliefs of Supreme Court justices have been a concern for many Americans, with 83% saying that justices should not bring their religious views into decision-making. However, 44% believe that justices have been doing so too frequently in recent decisions. This concern is especially prominent among Jewish and religiously unaffiliated Americans, with 70% and 66% respectively, believing that justices have relied too much on their religious beliefs.
The influence of religion on the court's decisions has been perceived differently by various groups. While most Christians believe the court is neutral towards religion, a significant number of Americans, especially Jews and religiously unaffiliated individuals, believe that the court's rulings have favoured Christians and harmed the interests of non-religious people. This perception is supported by research showing that the court has consistently ruled in favour of religious plaintiffs in religion-related cases since Justice Barrett, a Catholic, replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The court's rulings have also impacted religious freedom and minority groups. The 303 Creative v. Elenis case, where the court backed a web designer refusing services to same-sex couples, is expected to lead to more lawsuits justifying discriminatory practices as religious obligations. This ruling and others like it have contributed to the perception of the court as "friendly" to religion, with a significant jump in this view among US adults.
While the influence of religion on the Supreme Court's decisions is a complex and multifaceted issue, there is a growing perception that religious beliefs play a significant role in the court's rulings, impacting various religious and minority groups in the United States.
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Public perception of the Supreme Court's religious leanings
The religious composition of the Supreme Court has been a matter of public interest since its establishment in 1789. The first members of the court were almost uniformly Protestant, and for its first 180 years, justices were almost always white male Protestants of Anglo or Northwestern European descent. The appointment of Jewish justices in the 20th century marked a shift towards greater religious diversity on the court. However, concerns about the underrepresentation of certain religious groups have persisted.
In recent years, the Supreme Court has been perceived as disproportionately Catholic. As of 2025, six out of the nine justices are Catholic, two are Protestant, and one is Jewish. This distribution differs significantly from the religious makeup of the U.S. population, where about 22% identify as Catholic, 45% as Protestant, and 2% as Jewish. The absence of "nones," or those without a formal religious identity, on the court has also been noted, as this group comprises about 21% of the U.S. population.
The religious composition of the Supreme Court has sparked debates about the potential influence of religious beliefs on judicial decisions. While the majority of Americans believe that Supreme Court justices should not bring their own religious views into their rulings, there are concerns that this has been happening too often. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that 44% of respondents felt that justices had been relying too much on their religious beliefs in recent decisions. This view was particularly prominent among Jewish individuals and those without a religious affiliation, with seven-in-ten and two-thirds expressing this opinion, respectively.
The perception of the Supreme Court as "friendly" toward religion has been on the rise. Following consequential rulings on religious issues, such as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, more than one-third of U.S. adults (35%) viewed the court as friendly toward religion in 2022, up from 18% in 2019. This perception varies across religious and political lines, with non-Christians and Democrats more likely to see the court as friendly to religion than Christians and Republicans.
In addition to religious leanings, the Supreme Court's ideological leanings have also been a subject of public interest and scrutiny. Surveys indicate that the court's rulings have become more conservative than the preferences of the majority of Americans. While Republicans tend to view the court favorably, with 73% holding a positive opinion, Democrats have shown a decline in favorable opinions, with only 24% expressing a positive view. The court's conservative leanings may influence public support for institutional changes, particularly among those who perceive a greater distance between their own ideology and that of the court.
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Frequently asked questions
There are currently six Catholic justices on the Supreme Court.
The six Catholic justices are John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Sonia Sotomayor.
The Supreme Court consists of six Catholics, two Protestants, and one Jew.
The religious composition of the Supreme Court is not reflective of the US population. About 22% of the adult population identifies as Catholic, compared to the 67% Catholic representation on the court. Two percent of the population identifies as Jewish, while the representation on the court is 11%. Protestants make up about 45% of Americans, but they only have 22% representation on the court.
