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Developed by James D. Hunter in the early 1990s, the American theory of polarization is based on the premise of a deep axiological and political divide between religious and secular citizens, adding that believers of different faiths now share the same struggles. This paper aims to examine the possibility of applying that theory to French society. Based on quantitative data, it provides a nuanced response. It is undoubtedly possible to identify a cardinal opposition between the value systems of secular citizens and those of religious citizens, particularly on issues relating to the regulation of intimacy. However, this division does not apply to all issues, and particularly not to social issues. Should the paradigm of polarization be replaced by that of individualization? The analysis gives precedence to the communalization paradigm, derived from the sociology of Max Weber.