Sorting the Left from the Rest: The Communitarian Religious Perspective and Liberal Economic Attitudes

Abstract

In this article, the argument is made that the religious activity generated by churches, which tends to focus an individual's attention either outward toward the larger community or inward toward one's self, can influence parishioners’ economic attitudes. Using survey data obtained during the 2008 presidential election cycle, this article tests the merits of that argument by examining the effect of multiple aspects of religion on economic attitudes. Evidence indicates that, along with some of the conventional religiosity measures, there is a previously noticed but understudied “communitarian” dimension of religion that explains variation in social welfare attitudes. Additional tests conducted on subsamples of denominational groups reveal that the communitarian religious perspective is a significant predictor of liberal welfare attitudes among Mainline Protestants. These findings shed light on characteristics associated with the “religious left,” and provide a clearer picture of how religion, in different measurable forms, is related to economic attitudes.Related Articles Rugeley, Cynthia R., and John David Gerlach. 2012. “.” Politics & Policy 40 (): 444‐470. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00352.x/full Butz, Adam M., and Jason E. Kehrberg. 2015. “.” Politics & Policy 43 (): 256‐286. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12115/full Ertas, Nevbahar. 2015. “.” Politics & Policy 43 (): 426‐451. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12120/abstract Related Media . n.d. “The Henry Institute National Survey of Religion and Public Life, 2008.” http://www.thearda.com/Archive/Files/Descriptions/NSRPL.asp . 2017. Calvin College. Home Page. https://calvin.edu/centers-institutes/henry-institute/