Article Abstracts
March 2008, Vol. 49 Issue 2

DENSITY AND GROWTH IN A CONGREGATIONAL POPULATION:
REFORMED CHURCHES IN NEW YORK, 1628-2000

CHRISTOPHER P. SCHEITLE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

KEVIN D. DOUGHERTY
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

How and why religious groups grow are central questions in the study of religion.  Previous research largely fails to account for the dynamic relationship between an environment, a religious group, and its growth.  We present organizational theory on density dependence to explain this dynamic.  We test the theory using historical data on a population of Reformed Church in America congregations in New York from 1628 to 2000.  As expected, a curvilinear relationship exists between the density of congregations and the number of new congregations founded each year in the state.  Positive effects of legitimacy lead to increased congregational foundings early in the population’s history, while negative effects of resource scarcity and competition reverse denominational growth late in its history. 

CHURCH GROWTH AND DECLINE:
A TEST OF THE MARKET-BASED APPROACH

LAURIE COOPER STOLL
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO

LARRY R. PETERSEN
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS

A major concern of scholars who have applied rational choice theory to the study of religion has been to understand church growth and decline.  According to some versions of this theory, churches that are in higher tension with society produce more committed members than those in lower tension.  More committed members provide their churches with more time and money resources which can be used to attract, recruit, and retain members. Therefore, higher tension churches are more likely to grow than are lower tension churches.  Using data from a stratified random sample of churches in Shelby County, Tennessee, this study tests these ideas by inserting time and money resources, recruitment activity, and extensiveness of programs as intervening variables between church type (high-tension vs. low-tension) and church growth.  The findings provide partial support for the theoretical ideas.

CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON THE GROWTH IN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 49 COUNTRIES         

THOMAS ROSSON
EURASIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

DAIL FIELDS
REGENT UNIVERSITY

This study investigated the extent to which Hofstede's dimensions of national culture were related to the rate of growth of evangelical Christianity during the years 1985-2000.  After controlling for socio-economic trends and religious variables in each of 49 countries, we found that higher levels of power distance and lower levels of individualism were both positively related with growth in evangelical Christianity in a country.  The effects of power distance diminished while the effects of individualism increased over the fifteen year period studied.  The results suggest that Hofstede's cultural dimensions provide a parsimonious view of some influences on the growth of evangelical Christianity and may have practical implications for the formulation of mission strategies for the future.  

INSTITUTIONAL VERSUS CONTEXTUAL EXPLANATIONS
FOR THE GROWTH OF THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
IN THE UNITED STATES, 1945-2002

PAUL W. STURGIS
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA

The relative explanatory power of institutional and contextual factors as explanations for the growth of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States between 1945 and 2002 are compared through the use of a basic demographic approach.  The analysis demonstrates that the growth of the Witnesses during this time frame is best explained by institutional, and not contextual factors.  The theoretical implications of this line of research are also discussed.

 AFRICAN AMERICANS IN INTERRACIAL CONGREGATIONS
AN ANALYSIS OF DEMOGRAPHICS, SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND SOCIAL ATTITUDES

MICHAEL O. EMERSON
RICE UNIVERSITY

GEORGE YANCEY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

Research on African Americans in congregations has overwhelmingly focused on what is collectively referred to as “the black church:” those denominations and congregations that are primarily or historically African American.  In this paper, we adopt a comparative perspective, asking if there are differences in demographics, social networks, racial attitudes, and social attitudes of African Americans in three congregational contexts: those attending black congregations (80 percent or more black), those attending racially diverse congregations (20 to 80 percent black), and those in congregations that are less than 20 percent African American.  Using data from the Lilly Survey of Attitudes and Friendships, we find that compared to African Americans in black congregations, African Americans in multiracial congregations tend to differ demographically, in their prior interracial experiences, and in the racial composition of their social networks, but not in their racial and social attitudes.  The implications of these findings are explored.

RELIGION AND RAP MUSIC:
AN ANALYSIS OF BLACK CHURCH USAGE

SANDRA L. BARNES
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY

Gospel rap is becoming an increasingly popular musical form and a method to evangelize to younger audiences. However, to some, its secular roots make this expression inappropriate for the Christian arena. Given its continued efforts to attract young Blacks in general and males in particular, some Black churches are including gospel rap in their musical repertoire. This project examines Black Church usage of gospel rap music and indicators that explain its inclusion. Clergy, church, and member profiles as well as congregational environment are considered, based on Faith Factor 2000 Project data for seven denominations. Findings suggest the importance of denomination and church environment in engendering use of gospel rap music. Results also show a direct relationship between increases in new members and use of gospel rap. Implications for religion, popular culture, and race in general, as well as for Black Church evangelism in particular, are provided.