Monetized Religion in the Public Church

Abstract

The quantitative study undertakes a systematic investigation of the church-related donation practice in the context of the Protestant Church in Germany. The characteristic logics of membership and participation in this publicly regulated institutionalized church are considered as well as the multidimensionality of donation practice. Religious donations are located at the interface of the individual and the church institution. Key explanatory factors for financial giving emerge: objective and subjective costs, opportunities and occasions, institutional identification and reputation, social context, prayer practice, competition, and mediatized publics. Rational choice, generalized reciprocity, and risk and trust calculations act as guiding theories. The empirical findings are connected to a general theory of religious behavior. Implications for church fundraising, church financing, and church membership are discussed.