Corwin E. Smidt

Faith and the Environment: Religious Beliefs and Attitudes on Environmental Policy

Theory: Conservative Christian theology contains a set of beliefs that run counter to the philosophy supporting environmentalism. Hypotheses: Conservative eschatology (Biblical literalism, End Times thinking), religious tradition, and religious commitment should be negatively related to support for environmental policy. Data: Using data from four national surveys of clergy, religious activists, political-party contributors, and the mass public, we analyze the impact of religious variables on attitudes toward environmental protection. Results: We find that conservative eschatology, religious tradition, and religious commitment all have strong bivariate associations with environmentalism. In multivariate analyses, however, conservative eschatology proves by far the strongest religious predictor of environmental perspectives, although other measures exert occasional influence.

Religion and Civic Engagement: A Comparative Analysis

This study examines the relationship between religious involvement and civic engagement in a comparative, cross-cultural perspective. Using data from a 1996 survey of 3000 Canadians and 3000 Americans, the study assesses religions relative contribution to civic engagement in the two settings. The study reveals that both religious tradition and, more important, church attendance play an important role in fostering involvement in civil society in both countries, even after controlling for the effects of other factors generally associated with fostering civic activity among members of society.

Measuring Fundamentalism: An Analysis of Different Operational Strategies

While a variety of operational measures have been employed to identify fundamentalist respondents, little attention has been paid to assessing the effects of particular operational measures. Using data from a national survey containing several conventional measures of fundamentalism, this study analyzes (1) the extent to which these operational measures of fundamentalism are interrelated and tap the same facet of the concept, and (2) how these measures are related to criterion variables assumed to be associated with fundamentalism. In so doing, the study reveals just how the choice of an operational measure influences ones substantive findings.

Theological Perspectives and Environmentalism Among Religious Activists

Using data from a survey of activists (N = 4,995) from several large religious interest groups, we analyze the impact of theological orientations on attitudes toward the environment. We find that doctrinal fundamentalism, carefully defined, is a powerful predictor of environmental preferences. We also discover that views on environmental policy are part of much more comprehensive religious and political worldviews among these religious activists.

Pulpit and Politics: Clergy in American Politics at the Advent of the Millennium

This book presents the most current and comprehensive examination of the religious beliefs and political behaviour at the advent of the new millennium. Based on data gathered during the 2000 presidential election, this study examines the relationship between belief and behaviour, theology and politics, religious commitments and social activism from African-American, Baptist, Jewish, mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic and other religious groups. This is a treasure trove of historical, comparative, and statistical information about the political behaviour of Americas clergy.

Religious Commitment, Political Conservatism, and Political and Social Tolerance in the United States: A Longitudinal Analysis

This paper seeks to clarify certain theoretical and empirical aspects of the nature of the relationships between political conservatism and religious commitment on the one hand and political and social intolerance on the other. Several conceptual problems associated with previous studies of the topic ate note& and data which circumvent such problems ate analyzed in order to assess more adequately the true nature of the relationships under study.

Religion and American Attitudes Toward Islam and an Invasion of Iraq

This paper analyzes, in the wake of 9/11, the religious basis of American responses to removing Saddam Hussein, invading Iraq, and perceiving Islam as a violent religion, by using national survey data gathered just several months prior to the actual invasion. There was overwhelming agreement among Americans that the only way to disarm Iraq was to remove Saddam Hussein. Nevertheless, despite this general consensus, responses to the removal of Hussein still clearly were colored by religious factors. Religious factors also shaped support for invading Iraq and views of Islam as a violent religion. The important effects of religion on such issues hold even in light of multivariate analyses, as religious variables tended to rival political variables and usually exceeded socio-demographic variables in explaining differences on such issues.

THE POLITICS OF RELIGION IN AMERICA Issues for Investigation

This article seeks (1) to bring some coherence to a growing, but rather disparate, volume of “religion and politics” research, and (2) to chart some directions for future research. Given the vast nature of the field of inquiry, the focus of the discussion is limited specifically to behavioral studies of the role of religion in American political life.

The Sources of Antiabortion Attitudes The Case of Religious Political Activists

In this survey of activists (N = 4,995) from several large religious interest groups, the demographic, religious, and ideological influences on attitudes toward abortion are analyzed. Findings indicate that detailed denominational, doctrinal, and religious practice items are powerful predictors of abortion attitudes among a demographically homogeneous sample of activists. The authors also discuss the implications of the findings for the future of abortion politics.

Biblical Literalism and Inerrancy: A Methodological Investigation

The results of a methodological experiment are reported, in which black, urban respondents are presented with a new question dealing with beliefs about the Bible. The new item contains alternatives connoting both biblical literalism and inerrancy. Contrary to some previous research, it was found that the difference between literalism and inerrancy is meaningful to most doctrinally conservative respondents.