It’s been a while since I’ve blogged anything. This is not because of a lack of writing. In fact, I’ve been working on revising a manuscript for The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion dealing with how the association between religious commitment and subjective well-being varies across Christian traditions. This study replicates other research we’ve done, and shows that commitment predicts better well-being for Evangelical Protestants and poorer well-being for Mainline Protestants.
The results of our research dovetails with the ideas of the late sociologist Dean Kelley. According to Kelley, Evangelical Protestant churches tend to emphasize values such as salvation that are less available in secular venues. Perhaps as a result, these churches tend to be more “strict” or “serious,” and tend to have members who believe that they hold the one truth, form a “tight” community, and passionately seek to convince others of their beliefs. Related to this, members are thought to be wholeheartedly committed to their religious beliefs, disciplined in trying to live them out, and zealous in evangelizing to others. These characteristics, in turn, are theorized to promote greater institutional vitality (such as greater growth in church membership) because they help fulfill the essential function of religion, which Kelley described as “explaining the meaning of life in ultimate terms.” In contrast, according to Kelley, Mainline Protestant churches and the post-Vatican II Catholic Church emphasize (in practice, though not necessarily in theology) values that often also are emphasized in secular venues, such as community, knowledge, social justice, and political change. Those affiliated with these traditions tend to believe that no one has a monopoly on the truth, seek individual responsibility, and show caution about expressing religious beliefs. Given this, Kelley posits that members within these traditions tend to be lukewarm with respect to their commitment levels, appreciative of diverse perspectives, and interested in dialogue with others holding different beliefs. Kelley believed that these characteristics may not be as effective in fulfilling the essential purpose of religion concerning the provision of meaning, and therefore result in various forms of institutional weakness (such as declines in church membership).
Related to this, I’ve been reading about how the sense of religious culture may shape the experience of community within a religious group. For instance, in an article published in The Sociological Quarterly last week, a researcher from Baylor University found that people with traditional beliefs are more likely to feel a sense of belonging. In contrast, the author of this article suggests that those who belong to less traditional religious groups place more emphasis on freedom, choice, and self-creation, and thus are less likely to connect.
