Identity is a driving force of what shapes our reality and gives meaning to our lives. Rather than existing in isolation, identities are largely shaped by the cultural contexts in which we live. Social identities, including national and religious identities, provide individuals a way to make sense of their complex social and political lives. History textbooks are examples of cultural artefacts that shape identities, particularly as it relates to national identity. In this way, social identity theory can provide a useful framework to explore conflict in two postcolonial contexts experiencing conflict based on religious nationalism: India and Northern Ireland. This article begins with providing a brief background on the context in India and Northern Ireland; it will then move to provide an overview of relevant social identity theories. The next sections will apply social identity theories to the two different contexts to explore how culture may inform the saliency of certain social identities. The article will conclude with possibilities for peacebuilding and the question of whether a postcolonial narrative can be a peace narrative in both contexts.