Sunday School Teacher, Culture Warrior: The Politics of Lay Leaders in Three Religious Traditions*

Abstract

ObjectivesPolitical theorists have praised civic organizations as spaces for open political deliberation. But their leadership structure privileges some voices over others. In congregations, clergy set the context for political discussion. We argue that volunteer religious leaders also shape political talk in local churches. Lay leaders serve as political opinion leaders within local churches, with the power to either deepen or bridge political polarization over religion and morality.MethodsWe compare lay leaders across three religious traditions, using a unique measure from the 2005 Baylor Religion Survey.ResultsLay leaders in evangelical, mainline, and Catholic traditions are more politically active than other attenders, but evangelical lay leaders are also more morally conservative than others in their tradition. Comparing across traditions, we argue that evangelical lay leaders foster greater political cohesion within their tradition.ConclusionWe identify voluntary group leadership as a mechanism that allows civic organizations to generate political presence.