Showing papers in "Review of Religious Research in 2017"
TL;DR: A latent variable model of adolescent religiosity in which five dimensions of religiosity are interrelated: religious beliefs, religious exclusivity, external practice, private practice, and religious salience is theorized and tested.
Abstract: This paper theorizes and tests a latent variable model of adolescent religiosity in which five dimensions of religiosity are interrelated: religious beliefs, religious exclusivity, external practice, private practice, and religious salience. Research often theorizes overlapping and independent influences of single items or dimensions of religiosity on outcomes such as adolescent sexual behavior, but rarely operationalizes the dimensions in a measurement model accounting for their associations with each other and across time. We use longitudinal structural equation modeling with latent variables to analyze data from two waves of the National Study of Youth and Religion. We test our hypothesized measurement model as compared to four alternate measurement models and find that our proposed model maintains superior fit. We then discuss the associations between the five dimensions of religiosity we measure and how these change over time. Our findings suggest how future research might better operationalize multiple dimensions of religiosity in studies of the influence of religion in adolescence.
60 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the associations between multiple dimensions of religious involvement and self-esteem, and specifically focused on the belief in a supportive higher power (Divine support) as a central influence in this relationship.
Abstract: Previous research raises the question of self-esteem as a fundamental human need, but also indicates that self-esteem is an inherently social product. Is religious involvement influential—and does it depend on beliefs about God? In this research, we examine the associations between multiple dimensions of religious involvement and self-esteem, and specifically focus on the belief in a supportive higher power (“divine support”) as a central influence in this relationship. Analyses of a national probability sample of adults from the US (2004 General Social Survey) reveal two central findings: (1) divine support helps to explain a positive association between religious involvement and self-esteem; (2) divine support strengthens that association. These findings contribute to the growing discussion about beliefs about God—especially as an engaged, involved, and influential force in everyday life—and the association with different components of the self-concept. Our observations underscore the need for more research on the intersection of beliefs and practices in shaping various facets of personal functioning.
38 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate what dimensions of being religious play a role in the life satisfaction of individuals with different religious affiliations, including the understudied Muslim category, in the highly secularized Dutch context.
Abstract: The positive relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction is well-established. This relationship is, however, likely to vary across cultural contexts and different religious affiliations. Furthermore, research is needed to uncover why religion is relevant for life satisfaction. Addressing these issues, we investigate what dimensions of being religious play a role in the life satisfaction of individuals with different religious affiliations, including the understudied Muslim category, in the highly secularized Dutch context. We examine ‘believing’, which captures how religion provides meaning and a coherent worldview, and ‘belonging’, which comprises both cultural benefits of being embedded in a congregation with a shared framework of meaning and structural benefits due to more social ties. Analyses of the NEtherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study (n = 5312) first indicate that Muslims display significantly lower life satisfaction than the non-religious, which appears to be due to their underprivileged social position rather than intra-religious factors of believing and belonging. Second, we find that Catholics experience significant life satisfaction benefits compared to those who are not religious, and that only belonging plays a role in this association. Next to the beneficial effect of the structural aspect of belonging, which revolves around social ties, a cultural aspect of religious belonging appears to be salient, suggesting that an important life satisfaction advantage of religious communities lies in their ability to foster a sense of solidarity and commitment through a shared framework of meaning. We make several recommendations for further research based on these findings.
34 citations
TL;DR: The bogus pipeline procedure has been used in other areas of study to increase veracity of self-reports when social desirability effects are present (such as reporting sexual behaviors or prejudice) as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: A primary concern in the psychology of religion is the distinct possibility that responses to empirical assessments of individuals’ degree and type of religiosity and spirituality are exaggerated owing to social desirability bias. In spite of increased secularization in American culture and a growing distrust of organized religion, religious involvement, personal religiosity, and spirituality are still viewed as highly desirable characteristics. This study estimates the extent of social desirability biases that affect self-reports of religion and spirituality by utilizing a bogus pipeline procedure. In this procedure, participants are convinced that experimenters can detect disingenuous responses to individual items on questionnaires through the use of physiological measures, although no physiological data are actually collected. If the self-reports of participants in the bogus pipeline condition indicate greater religiosity or spirituality than those in the control condition, self-report bias is indicated. The bogus pipeline procedure has been used in other areas of study to increase veracity of self-reports when social desirability effects are present (such as reporting sexual behaviors or prejudice). The results indicate that social desirability biases influence multiple constructs including religious orientations, religious coping, and daily spiritual experiences. Implications for future research relying on self-reports of religion and spirituality are discussed.
27 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that the more an individual reports that religion comes up at work, the more likely it is that the individual will perceive religious discrimination, and this effect remains even after taking into account the individual's own religious tradition, religiosity, and frequency of talking to others about religion.
Abstract: Charges of religion-related employment discrimination have doubled in the past decade. Multiple factors are likely contributing to this trend, such as the increased religious diversity of the US population and the increased interest of employees and some employers in bringing religion to work. Using national survey data we examine how the presence of religion in the workplace affects an individual’s perception of religious discrimination and how this effect varies by the religious tradition of the individual. We find that the more an individual reports that religion comes up at work, the more likely it is that the individual will perceive religious discrimination. This effect remains even after taking into account the individual’s own religious tradition, religiosity, and frequency of talking to others about religion. This effect is stronger, however, for Catholics, Mainline Protestants, and for the religiously unaffiliated. In workplaces where religion is said to never come up these groups are among the least likely to perceive religious discrimination. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Evangelical Protestants are more likely to perceive religious discrimination in the workplace even if they say that religion never comes up at work, which makes the effect of exposure to religion in the workplace weaker for these groups. These results show that keeping religion out of the workplace will largely eliminate perceptions of religious discrimination for some groups, but for other groups the perceptions will remain.
18 citations
TL;DR: The effect of religion on happiness in the United States is examined in this paper, with particular attention given to the direct effect of attending religious services and the indirect effect on happiness, and the key results include Catholic, Jewish, and no religion having negative effects on happiness relative to Protestants.
Abstract: The effect of religion on happiness in the United States is examined. Particular attention is given to the direct effect of religion on attending religious services and the indirect effect on happiness. The key results include Catholic, Jewish, and no religion having negative effects on happiness relative to Protestants. Data from the National Opinion Research Center’s “General Social Survey” are used.
15 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that, despite shrinking church attendance, interest in religious concepts such as “salvation” has increased in the generations born after 1970 in Sweden, and this revival in religious interest on the part of generations whose formative years were after 1970.
Abstract: The main argument of this paper is that religious change caused by modifying supply in the religious market takes time due to intergenerational value change. Unlike previous research, this study suggests that not only do religious agents on the supply side need time to adjust, but that the time lag is probably even greater among individuals on the demand side of the religious market. Using time series data, the study demonstrates that, despite shrinking church attendance, interest in religious concepts such as "salvation" has increased in the generations born after 1970 in Sweden. Describing the transformation of the Swedish religious market from a regulated religious monopoly before 1970 to an increasingly deregulated and competitive religious supply since 1970, the study explains this revival in religious interest on the part of generations whose formative years were after 1970. As these generations replace previous generation with less religious interest, religious interest is rising in the Swedish population. The conclusion holds even when controlling for period and lifecycle effects, as well as alternative explanations of religious change such as increased migration and the existential security thesis.
14 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that both selection and influence impact network-religion autocorrelation and that religious influence is proportional to the number of friends in an adolescent's network, which reflects both the size of an individual's network and the consistency of religion among members of the network.
Abstract: How religion influences social interactions, and how social interactions influence religion, are fundamental questions to the sociology of religion. We address these processes and build on Cheadle and Schwadel’s (Soc Sci Res 41:1198–1212, 2012) analysis of selection and influence in religion-based social tie homogeneity (i.e. network–religion autocorrelation) in small schools by analyzing networks from larger schools, by focusing on differences across schools, and by testing different operationalizations of social influence. Using two waves of full network data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and dynamic longitudinal network SIENA models, we find (1) that both selection and influence impact network–religion autocorrelation; (2) that the factors influencing network–religion autocorrelation vary across school contexts; and (3) that religious influence is proportional to the number of friends in an adolescent’s network, which means influence reflects both the size of an individual’s network and the consistency of religion among members of the network. We conclude by addressing potential reasons for differences across school contexts and by discussing the theoretical logic behind the total similarity effect that best operationalized religious influence.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the development of the Muslim Spiritual Attachment Scale (M-SAS) and its use in an Australian study of psychological health amongst Muslims are discussed. But, existing measures of attachment to God have been developed within Christian contexts and do not necessarily constitute the best instruments for measuring attachment toGod amongst Muslims.
Abstract: Attachment to God has received theoretical and theological warrant for its applicability to Christian and Muslim populations. However, existing measures of attachment to God have been developed within Christian contexts and do not necessarily constitute the best instruments for measuring attachment to God amongst Muslims. This paper addresses the lack of a religiously sensitive measure of attachment to God amongst Muslims by describing the development of the Muslim Spiritual Attachment Scale (M-SAS), the psychometric properties of the M-SAS, and its use in an Australian study of psychological health amongst Muslims. Implications for understanding Muslim attachment styles, and for future research into attachment to God amongst Christian and Muslim populations using culturally sensitive measures are discussed.
11 citations
TL;DR: This article examined holdover identities among the former Amish and compared them with the former Ultra-Orthodox Jewish case, making use of Davidman's (Becoming un-orthodox: stories of ex-Hasidic Jews, Oxford University Press, New York, 2014) research.
Abstract: The present study explores identity among the former Amish. While sociologists of religion have long been interested in religious identity, there has been less attention to religious identities among those who cross religious borders. Much of the literature suggests that individuals abandon former religious identities, including ethno-religious ones, when they join a new religious denomination (e.g., Sandomirsky and Wilson in Soc Forces 68:1211–1229, 1990; Sherkat and Wilson in Soc Forces 73:993–1026, 1995). While scholarship on the Jewish case challenges this assumption (e.g., Phillips and Kelner in Soc Relig 67:507–524, 2006; Sharot in Contemp Jew 18:25–43, 1997), research on other religious groups has largely overlooked these insights. This study extend insights from the Jewish case by examining holdover identities among the former Amish and comparing them with the former Ultra-Orthodox Jewish case, making use of Davidman’s (Becoming un-orthodox: stories of ex-Hasidic Jews, Oxford University Press, New York, 2014) research. Analysis of in-depth interviews with 59 former Amish adults reveals that, while those who have left the Amish no longer define themselves as religiously Amish, they do not abandon their Amish identities entirely. Instead, they reconstruct the meanings of their Amishness in varied ways in their non-Amish contexts. Comparison of these patterns with former Ultra-Orthodox Jews illuminates contextual factors, including the Amish practice of adult baptism and differing normative conceptions of Amish and Jewish identities, that contribute to variation in holdover identities across these cases. Altogether, these results suggest that ethno-religious identities are not mutually exclusive of other denominational identities and support the conceptualization of religious identities as complex, multilayered, and constructed in particular contexts in interaction with existing notions about religious groups.
11 citations
TL;DR: This article examined how non-evangelical students come to an appreciative understanding of evangelical Christianity and found that appreciative attitudes toward evangelicals are associated with interfaith experiences, albeit to differing degrees based on self-identified worldview.
Abstract: Evangelical students pose a distinctive set of challenges to higher education professionals. These students, though advantaged to some degree because of their Christian identity, commonly report feeling marginalized and silenced on college campuses. In light of these tensions, the purpose of this study was to examine how non-evangelical students come to an appreciative understanding of evangelical Christianity. Specifically, the research focused on the specific campus conditions and experiences that influence non-evangelical students’ appreciative attitudes toward evangelicals. Findings reveal distinct demographic, institution type, and academic major differences in those students’ perspectives toward their evangelical peers. Additionally, the results suggest that appreciative attitudes toward evangelicals are associated with non-evangelical students’ interfaith experiences, albeit to differing degrees based on self-identified worldview. Recognizing that the work of helping non-evangelical students develop an appreciative understanding of evangelicals is as complicated as it is challenging, especially in the collegiate context, the authors conclude with a discussion of implications for research and practice.
TL;DR: In this article, a causal chain that explains how meso-level anti-pornography narratives can influence micro-level pornography effect scripts and, in turn, influence the effect that pornography viewing has on the marital happiness of husbands is proposed.
Abstract: Using a mixed methods design that compares quantitative content analysis of popular religious magazines with statistical analysis of national survey data, we show how the anti-pornography narratives that are predominant within different religious traditions can influence the effect that pornography viewing has on the marital happiness of husbands within those traditions. More specifically, we propose a causal chain that explains how meso-level anti-pornography narratives can influence micro-level pornography-effect scripts and, in turn, influence the effect that pornography viewing has on the marital happiness of husbands. We suggest, then, that this kind of causal chain can be thought of as a type of self-fulfilling prophecy. However, instead of operating exclusively at the micro-level as self-fulfilling prophecies have typically been theorized as doing, we apply the notion of the self-fulfilling prophecy to the meso-level, so that rather than just considering how individual thinking can lead to individual outcomes, we also consider how collective thinking can lead to collective outcomes.
TL;DR: This article examined the relationship between higher education and religion in a non-Western context, China, where children are typically raised in secular contexts and anti-religious ideology permeates the education system.
Abstract: Most existing research on education and religion has been situated in the United States, a context where it is normative for youth to receive religious socialization within families that is often thought to be challenged once they enter college.
This study examines the relationship between higher education and religion in a non-Western context, China, where children are typically raised in secular contexts and anti-religious ideology permeates the education system. For Chinese youth, college is often individuals’ first significant exposure to religious perspectives. Using data from the 2007 Spiritual Life Study of Chinese Residents, we find that the influence of education on religion is not a secularizing one: Although the least educated are more likely to identify themselves as members of a religious group, this is true only of older adults. People with at least some college education report similar levels of religious salience and belief in their lives compared to both the least and moderately educated. In fact, younger adults who went to college are more likely to hold a religious belief than younger adults with only a primary school education, and more likely to report religion is important to them than those with a middle or high school education. Moreover, college-educated people are more likely to tolerate religious beliefs as alternatives to communism, and younger adults who went to college are more tolerant of religion vis-a-vis science than are younger adults with middle or high school education.
TL;DR: This paper found that attachment to God is a fundamental "behavioral and intrapersonal characteristic" which distinguishes participants from one another, contributing to varying levels of participation in congregational and religious life beyond service attendance.
Abstract: The vitality of religious congregations is dependent on how effectively they attract congregants and mobilize participation, and people are more likely to participate when they share similar characteristics with other congregants. This study suggests attachment to God is a fundamental “behavioral and intrapersonal characteristic” which distinguishes participants from one another, contributing to varying levels of participation in congregational and religious life beyond service attendance. Using a national sample, we test several hypotheses related to this theoretical claim. Findings suggest that: (1) secure attachment to God is positively associated with congregational participation, (2) anxious and avoidant attachment are negatively associated with participation, (3) these relationships are moderated by length of time attending a particular congregation, and (4) secure attachment is associated with higher levels of participation in congregational life for blacks than it is for whites. By demonstrating a link between attachment to God and participation in congregational and religious life, this study affirms that intrapersonal characteristics structure the dynamics of religious congregations.
TL;DR: The authors employed cross classified random effects models to examine age-period-cohort changes in political tolerance by religion, incorporating religious belief, belonging, and behavior into the analyses, finding that the primary driver of changes over time was best attributed to period effects, not cohort replacement, although there is some evidence of a cohort effect among Roman Catholics.
Abstract: Using data from the 1984–2014 General Social Survey, we employ cross classified random effects models to examine age-period-cohort changes in political tolerance by religion, incorporating religious belief, belonging, and behavior into the analyses. The results show large cohort and period based changes in political tolerance of the various religious traditions. The results also suggest that the primary driver of changes over time in political tolerance is best attributed to period effects, not cohort replacement, although there is some evidence of a cohort effect among Roman Catholics. Finally, our results demonstrate that aggregate data analyses can lead to noticeably different results and thus can mask substantial differences between groups.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether attenders who are involved in congregationally sponsored community service activities (CSCSA) are more likely to engage in forms of prosocial behavior that are not organized or sponsored by their congregation.
Abstract: Some congregations sponsor activities through which people can serve in the community, like serving meals at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, offering after-school programs for neighborhood children, and hosting counseling and support groups. This study investigates whether attenders who are involved in congregationally sponsored community service activities (CSCSA) are more likely to engage in forms of prosocial behavior that are not organized or sponsored by their congregation. In doing so, it draws on past literatures about three key predictors of prosocial behavior—congregational involvement, religious beliefs and values, and community involvement. Results from the 2008/2009 U.S. Congregational Life Survey indicate that: (1) even when controlling for congregational involvement, religious beliefs and values, and community involvement, involvement in CSCSA is positively related to providing social support, charitable giving, civic engagement, and involvement in non-congregationally related community organizations; (2) involvement in CSCSA improves the model fit when predicting these outcomes. These results suggest that: (1) despite its similarity to past predictors, involvement in CSCSA matters for predicting prosocial behavior (i.e., it is more than the sum of the past predictors); (2) engaging in prosocial behavior through CSCSA may spill over into attenders’ everyday lives and encourage them to engage in forms of prosocial behavior that are not organized or sponsored by a congregation.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined how the process of relocation affects the mental health of United Methodist clergy and the extent to which relocation is associated with changes in clergy perception of the workplace environment and feelings of self-efficacy.
Abstract: In this study we examine how the process of relocation affects the mental health of United Methodist clergy and the extent to which relocation is associated with changes in clergy perception of the workplace environment and feelings of self-efficacy. We analyzed data from a longitudinal survey of 1375 clergy, one quarter of whom experienced a move between the baseline survey in 2008 and the follow-up survey 2 years later. Contrary to expectations, we find that mental distress decreased for those who recently moved compared to those who had moved 2 years prior. We also find strong evidence of a “honeymoon effect.” Recently relocated clergy report higher levels of self-efficacy and higher workplace morale compared to those who do not relocate. This study underscores the importance of examining the short and longer-term impact of moving on mental distress and presses scholars to consider the ways in which, under certain circumstances, relocation may improve mental health.
TL;DR: This article used data from the General Social Survey (GSSS) to evaluate whether imagining God in traditional ways is associated with attitudes towards voluntary euthanasia and found that individuals who imagine God as a father, a master, and a king have negative attitudes towards the practice of euthanasia.
Abstract: I use data from the General Social Survey (N = 8905) to evaluate whether imagining God in traditional ways is associated with attitudes towards voluntary euthanasia. Bivariate analysis reveals that individuals who imagine God as a father, a master, and a king have negative attitudes towards voluntary euthanasia. The associations between imagining God as a father and as a master and attitudes towards voluntary euthanasia hold after controlling for religious affiliation, frequency of religious attendance, views of the Bible, and other sociodemographic characteristics that predict attitudes towards voluntary euthanasia; however, the association between imagining God as a king do not. I also find that while there is no association between imagining God as a judge on voluntary euthanasia attitudes at the bivariate level, there is a significant and positive association with having favorable voluntary euthanasia attitudes in the full model, revealing a suppression effect. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating if different, distinct beliefs about the same religious object have differential associations with social attitudes and behaviors.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed how intergenerational patterns of religious persistence in Chile relate to individuals' educational attainment and inter-generational mobility and found that the greater an individual's educational credentials and upward mobility, the lesser their identification with Evangelical movements, regardless of their religious affiliation or educational attainment of origin.
Abstract: Several studies have consistently linked the Evangelical breakdown in Latin America as a mass movement mainly adopted by impoverished working class individuals. However, little is known about how religious inheritance and recruitment of Evangelical movements is affected when status conditions improve along individuals trajectories. Using Bicentenario Survey from 2006 to 2010 we analyze how intergenerational patterns of religious persistence in Chile relate to individuals’ educational attainment and intergenerational mobility. Two mechanisms are evaluated: first, the intergenerational persistence of Evangelicals compared to Catholics and “None’s”; and second, the probability of conversion or reaffiliation to Evangelical Protestantism. Multinomial regression analysis shows that the greater an individual’s educational credentials and upward mobility, the lesser their identification with Evangelical movements, regardless of their religious affiliation or educational attainment of origin. This evidence suggests there are obstacles for Evangelical movements’ vertical mobility, which could be related to Chile’s strong social cleavage in terms of religion.
TL;DR: In a recent study, this paper found that the number of mainline Protestant denominations has been declining for half a century, with sharp decreases in the late 1960s and early 1970s followed by more modest losses for the next 25 years, with sharper declines returning at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Abstract: Total membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been declining for half a century. Sharp decreases in the late 1960s and early 1970s were followed by more modest losses for the next 25 years, with sharper declines returning at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Analysis of denominational data on the components of change reveals two major factors linked to the most recent drop: departures of schismatic congregations in five denominations that have liberalized gay- and lesbian-related policies, and fewer individuals joining mainline denominations. Furthermore, child baptism rates are dropping and, in at least one denomination, the ratio of child professions of faith to child baptisms a decade earlier has fallen faster than membership over the past 13 years. These findings are largely consistent with previous research using national survey data that shows low fertility in the mainline, a drop in transfers into the mainline from more conservative churches, and general increases in the percent of the U.S. population with no religious affiliation. Together, the evidence strongly suggests continued mainline membership losses for the indeterminate future.
TL;DR: For example, the authors found that pornography viewing influences the religious bonding of heterosexually married Americans by affecting the frequency with which they pray with their spouses, and that the effect of pornography viewing on the frequency of praying with spouses is curvilinear.
Abstract: Research suggests that frequent pornography use holds consequences both for the marital experiences of devoutly-religious Americans and religious commitment itself. Extending this line of research, this study considers how pornography viewing influences the religious bonding of heterosexually married Americans by affecting the frequency with which they pray with their spouses. Longitudinal data are taken from two waves of the nationally representative Portraits of American Life Study. Multivariate findings show the net effect of earlier porn viewing on the frequency with which married Americans pray with their spouses is curvilinear. Married Americans who never viewed pornography report praying with their spouses more often than the average; those who used pornography at moderate levels report praying with their spouses below the average; and a small minority of respondents who used pornography at the highest frequencies report praying with their spouses more than the average. These effects are robust to controls for respondents’ religious characteristics, moral beliefs about pornography, marital happiness, and sociodemographic factors. The study concludes by outlining the limitations and implications of these findings for research on religion, pornography use, and families.
TL;DR: The authors analyzes how a congregation's theology and denominational affiliation influence the racial ties of its white members and finds that theologically conservative congregations generate more embedded social ties (measured by number of friendships) than do non-conservative congregations, and more congregation friendships increase the likelihood of cross-racial ties.
Abstract: This article analyzes how a congregation’s theology and denominational affiliation influence the racial ties of its white members. We posit two distinct pathways. In the first, theologically conservative congregations generate more embedded social ties (measured by number of friendships) than do non-conservative congregations, and more congregation friendships increase the likelihood of cross-racial ties. In the second pathway, congregations not affiliated with historically major denominational families report higher levels of racial diversity, and high levels of congregation racial diversity increase the likelihood of cross-racial ties. Our key methodological innovation is to divide Evangelical congregations into two categories: those affiliated with the historically major families (Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian) and those not (e.g., Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist). Christian groups that join theological conservatism and outsider (non-major) status generate high levels of friendships and racial diversity in their congregations, both of which contribute to cross-racial ties among white members. Analysis of survey data from a national probability sample of white Christians (2006 Faith Matters Survey) mostly supports our hypotheses.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored how various types of in-church close social ties of worshipers, socio-economic homogeneity of congregations and sociodemographic characteristics of their geographical locations affect worshipers' bonding social capital (church-related volunteer participation) and bridging social capital(civic participation outside of church), by using the 2001 USCLS data.
Abstract: This paper explores how various types of in-church close social ties of worshipers, socio-economic homogeneity of congregations and sociodemographic characteristics of their geographical locations affect worshipers’ bonding social capital (church-related volunteer participation) and bridging social capital (civic participation outside of church), by using the 2001 USCLS data. Close-social ties index determines various combinations of attending with close friends, children, and/or spouse. Congregational homogeneity levels are measured by looking at the race, income, age and education of churchgoers. Neighborhood-level sociodemographic characteristics include percentages of urban population and the proportion of racial minorities. Findings indicate that each type and composition of close social ties affect bonding and bridging social capital in different ways. Bonding social capital is the highest when worshipers attend together with their spouses, children and close friends. Bridging social capital is the highest when they attend with both spouses and close friends, but it starts to decline after the inclusion of children as the third type of tie. Race and income homogeneity foster church-related participation. Age and education homogeneity negatively affects church-related volunteerism but fosters civic participation outside. Only bonding social capital is affected by neighborhood-level factors. Higher proportions of racial minorities in neighborhoods increase church-related participation.
TL;DR: For example, this article found that permanent deacons in the Roman Catholic Church are active in their local community and congregation mobilizing faith formation events, liturgical services, and community social action programs.
Abstract: Permanent deacons in the Roman Catholic Church (all male) are active in their local community and congregation mobilizing faith formation events, liturgical services, and community social action programs, yet not much is known about their leadership style. The present study compared U.S. 203 permanent deacons with 202 male community-based directors of non-profit agencies on their self-reported transformational leadership style, assessed by five subscales of competencies. Deacons and directors differed significantly on three subscales; deacons scored higher on the promoting positive values and leadership as service subscales, while directors scored higher on the building a sustainable organization subscale. Results suggested that the transformational leadership styles of U.S. permanent deacons is more value and service-centered, and, in comparison, community-based non-profit leaders seem to focus more on the group’s structure and health of their organization.
TL;DR: Among non-Christian participants, perceptions of hypocrisy were highest with respect to “devout” and “evangelical” Christian targets, while among Christian participants, the highest ratings of moral hypocrisy were reserved for “casual” Christians as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In this study, we investigated perceptions of hypocrisy among Christian and non-Christian individuals. Specifically, participants (N = 121) were asked to evaluate people of different religious orientations in terms of perceptions of both claimed morality, actual behavior, and general hypocrisy. Across all designations, perceptions of moral hypocrisy were determined to be greater to the extent that moral claims exceeded actual behavior. Among non-Christian participants, perceptions of hypocrisy were highest with respect to “devout” and “evangelical” Christian targets. In contrast, among Christian participants, the highest ratings of hypocrisy were reserved for “casual” Christians (i.e., Christians who do not incorporate their faith into their daily life). Our findings have both theoretical implications regarding the nature of religious hypocrisy perceptions, as well as real-world implications for understanding inter-faith perceptions and interactions.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate the extent to which the use of prayer to manage anger is associated with: the intensity, source and duration of negative emotions experienced; reflection on the negative emotion-inducing incident; and perceived appropriateness of emotional reaction.
Abstract: Research has established that individuals use prayer to manage negative emotions, yet little is known about how the characteristics of individuals’ emotional experiences—such as how long the emotions last and the source of emotions—influence the use of this emotion management strategy. Using data from the 1996 General Social Survey emotion module (N = 1114), we evaluate the extent to which the use of prayer to manage anger is associated with: the intensity, source, and duration of negative emotions experienced; reflection on the negative emotion-inducing incident; and perceived appropriateness of emotional reaction. Estimated logistic regression models show that characteristics of emotional experiences (except perceived appropriateness) are significantly associated with the use of prayer to manage anger. The analyses reveal that the appropriateness of using prayer to manage negative emotions varies based on specific aspects of the emotional experience, carrying implications for interventions such as pastoral counseling or anger management programs.