John P. Marcum

Church-Based Social Support and Religious Coping

The purpose of this study is twofold: to explore the nature of church-based social support, and to see whether support received in religious settings is related to the use of religious coping methods. The data come from a nationwide survey of members of the Presbyterian Church USA. Three dimensions of religious support are examined in detail: emotional support from church members, spiritual support from church members, and emotional support from the pastor. These dimensions of support are used to evaluate an issue that has been largely overlooked in the literature—the relationship between religious support and religious coping. The findings reveal that people are especially inclined to use positive religious coping responses when they receive spiritual support from church members. Even though emotional support from the pastor also increases the use of religious coping methods, the relationship is not as strong. Finally, emotional support from church members has no effect.

Does Negative Interaction in the Church Increase Psychological Distress? Longitudinal Findings from the Presbyterian Panel Survey

This study examines the effects of negative interaction in church on psychological distress. After outlining a series of theoretical arguments linking negative interaction with health and well-being, relevant hypotheses are tested using longitudinal data from two surveys of the 1997–1999 Presbyterian Panel, a nationwide panel of members and elders (lay leaders) in congregations of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Findings confirm that negative interaction appears to foster or exacerbate distress over the study period. In addition, specific dimensions of social negativity have distinctive effects; the impact of criticisms on distress surface only in cross-sectional models, while the effects of excessive demands emerge only in the longitudinal models. No subgroup variations in these effects are detected. Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to (a) research on religion and health and (b) congregational life, and a number of promising directions for future research are elaborated.

Measuring Church Attendance: A Further Look

Recent research on Protestants and Catholics in the United States has shown that estimates of worship attendance based on individual survey reports yield significantly higher totals than the attendance numbers reported by the churches. This paper provides additional evidence on the discrepancy using data for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for 1990, 1993, and 1996. In each year estimates of church attendance based on individual survey responses are higher than independent estimates based on congregational reports. Further analyses examine additional questions on church absences and the use of time on Sundays to evaluate alternative measurement strategies. The results suggest that more accurate estimates of church attendance are possible using surveys but that entirely valid estimates are unlikely as long as social desirability influences self reports.

Terrorism, post-traumatic stress, coping strategies, and spiritual outcomes.

This mail survey measured post-traumatic stress symptoms, spiritual and non-spiritual coping strategies, and positive spiritual outcomes following the tragedies of 9/11/01 in a national, random sample of 1,056 Presbyterians. Respondents reported mild to moderate degrees of re-experiencing and hyper-arousal symptoms of post-traumatic stress, unrelated to location or knowing someone involved. People experiencing high stress used greater frequency and variety of both spiritual and non-spiritual types of coping strategies. Positive spiritual outcomes were remarkably related to positive spiritual coping strategies, in contrast to no association with negative coping. This study illustrates the significant degree of post-traumatic stress experienced with vicarious exposure and a wide spectrum of coping strategies used following the major terrorist attacks.

Religious Affiliation, Participation and Fertility: A Cautionary Note

When studies of religions effect on fertility seek to discriminate between nominal and committed followers, they often turn to measures of participation in church activities. Such an approach is conceptually defensible but empirically problematic with the typical cross-sectional data set, because the temporal ordering is wrong: such studies usually ascertain religious participation at the time of the interview, after the birth of children. I explore the problem empirically with data from the 1963 Glock-Stark Northern California Church Member Study. Finally, I discuss alternative indicators of religiosity for cross-sectional analysis, and the need for appropriate panel data.

Religious affiliation, labor force participation and fertility.

Different teachings on family and procreation make balancing the demands of church and career more difficult for Catholic than Protestant women. Examination of 1965 National Fertility Survey data reveals fertility differences by religious affiliation primarily for women who worked in the past but are not now employed. For Catholics their fertility is high and similar to that of women who have never worked; for Protestants their fertility is low and similar to that of currently employed women. Further analysis of unwanted fertility suggests this pattern occurs because lower contraceptive efficacy leads more Catholic women to leave the labor force. (authors)