Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion最新文献

Observations in White progressive churches across the United States and Canada reveal antiracism as grounded in a “Theology of Inclusivity” framed by a Golden Rule morality. In attempting to integrate antiracism with broader inclusionary initiatives historically focused on LGBTQ+ affirmation, leaders and members view racism as a “deeper” issue, rooted in Christianity's historical complicity and societally pervasive social injustice. Although antiracism programming fosters dialogue and reflection, the emphasis on inclusivity often stalls in abstraction amid disagreement, delaying substantive congregational decisions. The burden of consensus creates an “awareness trap” where continuous deliberation replaces decisive action. While forging shared priorities, the antiracism focus prods members toward an individualized ethic, encouraging members to address racial justice through personal roles outside the church beyond any collective congregational efforts. In the process, these progressive congregations increasingly reframe individual antiracist initiatives as ecclesial action, allowing churches to view any member efforts as valid extensions of their antiracist identity.

The Censuses of Religious Bodies contain detailed information about early 20th-century American religious groups. However, these data have not been used to their full potential—likely because until recently, most of the data in these volumes had not been digitized. We undertook a large data entry initiative to make these data available to contemporary researchers. This research note introduces scholars to the data set and presents the first quantitative analysis of the wealth held (and not held) by American religious groups a century ago. By quantifying the vast historical disparities between religious traditions, we provide new empirical support for complex religion theory, which argues that religion has been and continues to be a site of stark social inequalities. We hope our findings and work digitizing these data will spur future research into how socioeconomic disparities between religious groups have persisted or been disrupted over time.

Navigating transitions across community boundaries, such as former Haredim leaving their covenantal communities of origin to integrate into mainstream society, is a widespread phenomenon with profound societal implications. This study investigates the impact of current community affiliation and perceived social support on the sense of coherence (SOC) and community sense of coherence (ComSOC) coping resources of former Haredim. Conducted in 2022, the study surveyed 147 ex-Haredim in Israel. Findings reveal that perceived social support and strength of community affiliation predict higher SOC and ComSOC levels throughout the disaffiliation process. ComSOC shows greater sensitivity to influence than general SOC and is its strongest predictor among the studied variables. Other significant predictors are involvement in the ex-Haredim community, years since leaving, and family disconnection. In its salutogenic quality and focus on coping resources, this study offers insights for supporting individuals navigating disaffiliation challenges and similarly profound change processes.

This study examines the factors influencing continued church membership intention in Ghana, focusing on the key correlates of this behavior. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) the survey data collected were analyzed. The findings highlight charismatic leadership, religious experience, corporate social responsibility, personal needs fulfillment, tangibles, and message credibility as significant determinants of continued church membership intention. Furthermore, the study identifies a willingness to donate as a consequential outcome. The proposed integrative model not only offers scholars essential constructs for future theoretical exploration but also provides church managers with a comprehensive framework to enhance membership retention strategies. This research serves as a critical foundation for both academic and practical advancements in understanding the dynamics of church membership.

To illuminate the often-reported higher levels of meaning in life by those who believe in God relative to atheists, we examined the extent to which their global meaning (i.e., the beliefs, goals, and values that underlie subjective sense of meaning in life) differed. Study 1 (undergraduate sample of 100 atheists and 447 theists) found that theists endorsed higher levels of beliefs reflecting a more meaningful world (e.g., goodness, control, justice) while atheists endorsed higher beliefs in randomness. Further, atheists found less meaning from almost every source examined (e.g., achievement, self-acceptance). Results of Study 2 (87 atheists and 164 theists in a national U.S. online sample) produced similar results and also found theists more strongly endorsed many values that can facilitate a sense of meaning (e.g., traditionalism, security). Collectively, these results identify multiple divergences in global meaning between atheists and theists that may account for atheists’ lower meaning in life.

The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between non-theistic parental sanctification and well-being among parents, and whether parents’ primary images of God (authoritative, benevolent, critical, and distant) modified this relationship among American parents. Drawing on nationally representative data from the 2014 Baylor Religion Survey (N = 1078), our cross-sectional results suggest that non-theistic sanctification was linked to greater overall happiness and satisfaction in the parental role. We also found consistent evidence that the relationship between non-theistic parental sanctification and greater happiness and parental satisfaction was stronger for individuals with either an authoritative or benevolent God image, and weaker among those with parents with a distant God image. The study of sanctification in conjunction with images of the divine offers one fruitful approach to understanding both the benefits and risks of integrating religion/spirituality into daily life.

Following the killing of George Floyd, some congregations more fully entered the conversation on race. Although sometimes reinforcing institutional racism, many religious traditions also have tools for conflict resolution, repentance, and reconciliation. Given this ambivalence, how do congregations engage questions of racial justice, and how is this engagement influenced by race and religious tradition? Our answers come through multimethod data collected over 2 years: (a) Surveys of 2,293 congregants from 35 diverse congregations find that race relations is the issue they most want their place of worship to address, while revealing exhaustion among some Black members; (b) 90 sermons from 15 congregations reveal how clergy talked about race in the weeks after Floyd's murder depended largely on the race of the congregation; and (c) 21 clergy interviews illustrate differences in how clergy use religion to engage race. These diverse data reveal key differences, based on race and religious tradition.