James D. Davidson

THE NATURE AND SOURCES OF RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT

This paper is concerned with the nature and sources of religious involvement. Several theories are reviewed and six propositions are examined using data from four Protestant churches. Meaning system and social relationships are important sources of religious involvement. Socio-demographic characteristics do effect religious involvement but mostly in an indirect way. Religious beliefs are seen as the weakest source of religious involvement. The theoretical and policy implications ofthese findings are discussed.

The Effect of Group Size on Interfaith Marriage Among Catholics1

This article examines the relationship between the religious composition of Catholic dioceses and interfaith marriage rates among Catholics. Building on Blaus (1977) theory of intergroup relations and previous research on intermarriage, we argue that Catholics are most likely to marry outside their group when they comprise a relatively small percent of the population in their dioceses. They are most likely to marry other Catholics when they are a large percentage of the population. Research in the 1940s and 1950s supports this hypothesis, as do diocesan-level data reported in the 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, and 1995 editions of the Official Catholic Directory. We conclude with a discussion of what these findings imply for future research on interfaith marriage among Catholics and among members of other religious groups.

AMERICAN CATHOLICS: ONE CHURCH, TWO CULTURES?

The purpose of this paper is to test Eugene Kennedys hypothesis that Catholics in the U.S. are divided into two cultures and that these cultures are closely linked to the pre-Vatican II and post-Vatican II generations. The fundamental difference of the two cultures is the locus of religious authority. For pre-Vatican II Culture One Catholics, religious authority is external and fixed in the hierarchy of the institutional church. For post Vatican II Culture Two Catholics, religious authority is internal; faith is embedded in ones own experience. A 1995 national survey of American Catholics is used to examine Kennedys cultures, and their generational linkages. A multiple item index of the locus of religious authority is constructed from survey items. Findings indicate that American Catholics are not polarized into two cultures in their approach to religious authority. While generation is significant in explaining differences in the beliefs and behavior of American Catholics, there also are important variations within cohorts regarding the locus of religious authority.

Theological and Sociological Uses of the Concept "Orthodoxy"

This Research and Commentary section represents a forum within which a strong effort will be raised to question methodologies, engage in dialogue, challenge research findings, and shape the future directions of the field in a manner not usually possible in a formal journal. Stimulating and tentative hypotheses, ideas, and findings will find ready response here. Potential contributors are encouraged to contact the editor, Edward C. Lehman, Jr., Department of Sociology, S.U.N.Y., Brockport, New York 14420.

Increasing Church Involvement in Social Concerns: A Model for Urban Ministries

This paper identifies several conditions in society and in the churches which limit church involvement in social concerns. It, then, briefly describes the origins of a group attempting to address these conditions: the Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM). Finally, on the basis of their experience with LUM, the authors propose a general model for urban ministries which they feel also might assist in increasing church involvement in other communities.

Religious Stratification in America

Purpose – This study examines religious stratification in America from the colonial period until the present. Design/Methodology/Approach – We use a conflict theoretical approach to examine trends in religious stratification over time. The rankings of religious groups are based on tabulations of the religious affiliations of economic, political, and cultural elites collected at 37 data points from the colonial era until the present. Findings – In the colonial period, the Upper stratum religious groups (Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists) accounted for nearly 90 percent of elites in cultural, economic, and political spheres. The representation of Upper stratum groups among American elites declined from the 1800s to the early 1900s, rebounded somewhat after the 1930s, and then declined after the 1960s. The four groups that comprise the New Upper stratum (Episcopalians, Jews, Presbyterians, and Unitarian-Universalists) account for nearly half of the nations elites while representing less than 10 percent of the total population. Research implications – Our research indicates that religious stratification has had largely destabilizing effects on society. In line with other research on stratification, we find that the harmful effects were somewhat muted when inequality was most severe, and these negative effects increased as religious inequality became less pronounced. Originality/Value – This chapter highlights the importance of religion as a factor in stratification. The use of a conflict perspective allows us to bridge the gap between the stratification literature and the religion literature.

Why Churches Cannot Endorse or Oppose Political Candidates

Churches cannot favor or oppose particular candidates for political office. The ban on electioneering has nothing to do with the First Amendment or Jeffersonian principles of separation of church and state. Instead, the ban is based on a provision in the 1954 tax reform act prohibiting all tax-exempt organizations from supporting or opposing political candidates. I show that the provision grew out of the anti-communist frenzy of the 1950s and was directed at right-wing organizations such as Facts Forum and the Committee for Constitutional Government. It was introduced by Lyndon Johnson as part of his effort to end McCarthyism, protect the loyalist wing of the Texas Democratic Party, and win reelection to the Senate in 1954. I also discuss the implications these findings have for contemporary church policy.

Protestant and Catholic Perceptions of Church Structure

Although the structure of socioreligious groups receives frequent mention in the sociological literature, systematic analysis of church polity has been generally lacking. The authors draw hypotheses from the congregational, presbyterian, and episcopal models to examine Protestant and Catholic perceptions of 7 components of church structure. The data are taken from a study of fourteen Protestant and Catholic con-gregations in two Oklahoma communities. Responses to 7 original questionnlaire items indicate that Protestants aind Catholics perceived Protestan-t churches as democratic anld the Catholic chuLrch as hierarchical. The authors suggest that the current conceptualizations of the congregational, presbyterian, and episcopal models of church structure are inadequate, but can be used to guide further research, which may either refine these models or lead to the development of alternative orientations to the study of church structure.