Conservative Protestant Affiliation Research Articles

Formal or Functional? Traditional or Inclusive? Bible Translations as Markers of Religious Subcultures

AbstractEnglish Bible translations are often classified along two axes: (1) whether their translation approach pursues “formal correspondence” (prioritizing literalness) or “functional equivalence” (prioritizing meaning); and (2) whether their translation approach emphasizes “gender-traditionalism” (translating gendered language literally) or “gender-inclusivism” (minimizing unnecessarily gendered language). Leveraging insights from research on how religious subcultural capital shapes consumption patterns, we examine how indicators of conservative Protestant subcultural attachment potentially shape Christians’ choices of Bible translation along these axes. Compared with Catholics and “other Christians,” Conservative Protestants are more likely to read functional equivalence translations. Biblical literalists are more likely to read gender-traditionalist translations, but curiously no more likely than others to read formal correspondence translations. The link between conservative Protestant affiliation and reading a gender-traditionalist or inclusive Bible is heavily influenced by how we classify the New International Version. Importantly, we also find Bible reading and overall religiosity are positively associated with reading functional equivalence and gender-inclusive Bibles. Thus while conservative Bible beliefs seem to incline Christians toward translations that reflect conservative subcultural priorities (gender-traditionalism), consistent Bible practice is more prevalent among Christians who read more dynamic and inclusive translations.

Are the faithful becoming less fruitful? The decline of conservative protestant fertility and the growing importance of religious practice and belief in childbearing in the US

Studies of religion and fertility argue that American childbearing has become less predicated on religious tradition and more on religious commitment and belief. Yet studies have not documented this transition over time or considered whether the growing importance of religious commitment and belief in childbearing applies across Christian traditions equally. Using data from the 1972–2016 General Social Surveys, we analyze childbearing trends across time and birth cohort focusing on the independent and interrelated effects of religious tradition, religious practice, and theological fundamentalism. We also utilize zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to better account for the increasing number of Americans who forego childbearing. Conservative Protestant affiliation is associated with faster than average declines in fertility, while monthly church attendance and biblical literalism are associated with slower than average declines in fertility, ceteris paribus. Examining moderating relationships, monthly worship attendance slightly increases the childbearing of mainline Protestants and Catholics over time, while conservative Protestant childbearing declines regardless of attendance. Unless offset by switching, our findings portend future population declines for conservative Protestants, notably, ones that are not attenuated by greater religious commitment.

Changing attitudes about spanking among conservative Christians using interventions that focus on empirical research evidence and progressive biblical interpretations

This study examined how interventions that include either empirical research evidence about spanking, progressive biblical interpretations, or both, affect attitudes and intentions about spanking. A sample of 129 college students (70% female; 30% male; Mage=19) attending a private, Christian university was randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions: (1) Research Only, (2) Religion Only, or (3) Research and Religion. Four weeks prior to the intervention sessions, students completed a Demographic Form, the Religious Fundamentalism Scale, and the Attitudes Toward Spanking (ATS) scale. Following the intervention, students completed the ATS scale a second time. A two-way ANOVA indicated a significant main effect for the intervention condition and an interaction effect between intervention condition and religious fundamentalism, indicating that positive spanking attitudes declined most significantly in the Research and Religion intervention condition (F(2, 123)=4.05, p=.02, hp2=.06) with the greatest change in attitudes among the Religious Fundamentalism Group in that condition (F(2, 123)=4.50, p=.01, hp2=.07). A second two-way ANOVA indicated a significant main effect for Conservative Protestant Affiliation (F(2, 123)=4.39, p=.04, hp2=.03) indicating that positive spanking attitudes declined most significantly for participants identifying with a conservative religious affiliation. Overall, the findings suggest that, especially among Conservative Protestants, interventions that focus on both empirical research and progressive biblical interpretations of scripture can reduce positive attitudes toward, and intentions to use, spanking. This study has implications for decreasing spanking use among Conservative Christians and for the development of training programs to reduce parents’ use of spanking.

Contested Knowledge and Spillover

This article introduces the concepts of contested knowledge and spillover to aid in understanding the relation between the controversy over evolution and related ideas and uncontested science knowledge. Contested knowledge exists wherever truth claims from multiple spheres of knowledge authority overlap, large or small. Spillover is a process of (1) a rejection of the authority of knowledge elites from an opposed knowledge sphere, and (2) devaluation of the set of heuristics for evidence tied to specific knowledges (contested and uncontested), a process that has wide-reaching implications. Using four waves of data from the General Social Survey (GSS; 2006–2012), I find evidence that conservative Protestant affiliation is associated with reduced knowledge of the physical and life sciences. This bivariate association is fully mediated, primarily through the rejection of mainstream scientific accounts of evolution. Findings also suggest that conservative Protestant affiliation increases the likelihood of that rejection. I argue that positions within this contested knowledge area spill over to other, uncontested forms of scientific knowledge. Results are validated using the 2014 wave of the GSS.

Religion, Race, and Othering Barack Obama

The nascent literature on the propensity to endorse conspiratorial views of President Barack Obama suggests that such sentiments may be grounded in racial animus or political partisanship. Yet to date, little attention has been paid to the religious elements that may underlie such claims. We extend the research in this area by using a national survey to assess the relationship between white conservative Protestant affiliation and an inclination to endorse the idea that Obama is a Muslim and/or a noncitizen. The results show that white conservative Protestant affiliation is associated with a greater tendency to support these characterizations of Obama. Importantly, this relationship is substantially mediated by racial resentment. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the United States’ increasing ethnic and religious pluralism.

Child Discipline and Conservative Protestantism: Why the Relationship between Corporal Punishment and Child Behavior Problems May Vary by Religious Context

Using data on 1,214 families from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study explored why and under what conditions parental conservative Protestant affiliation moderates the relationship between corporal punishment and children's problem behavior. Previous scholars suggest that children raised by conservative Protestants may be less likely to experience negative outcomes associated with corporal punishment due to (1) adherence to guidelines that may minimize the risk of harm from corporal punishment, and (2) corporal punishment being used as part of a consistent parenting strategy. This study extended previous research by testing these hypotheses. Overall, corporal punishment was associated with increased externalizing and internalizing problem behavior among children. However, there was some support for our hypotheses. Specifically, children raised by conservative Protestant parents were less likely to display problem behavior if only the father spanked and if the father spanked infrequently, and were less likely to display externalizing behavior only if both parents were conservative Protestant.

Does Conservative Protestantism Moderate the Association Between Corporal Punishment and Child Outcomes?

Using longitudinal data from a sample of 456 focal children in the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), this study examined two research questions: (a) Does corporal punishment of young children (ages 2-4 at baseline) predict increases in levels of externalizing and internalizing problems over a 5‐year study period? (b) Does the religion of the mother--specifically, her conservative Protestant affiliation and conservative beliefs about the Bible--moderate the estimated net effects of corporal punishment? Results revealed that early spanking alone was not associated with adjustment difficulties, but spanking that persisted into or began in middle childhood was associated with difficulties. In contrast to their counterparts from other (or no) religious backgrounds, children whose mothers belonged to conservative Protestant groups exhibited minimal adverse effects of corporal punishment. Several conclusions, limitations, and promising directions for future research are identified.

Religion and the Sense of Control among U.S. Adults

Despite at least a century of theoretical debate, the relationship between religion and the sense of control has rarely been investigated empirically. This study develops a series of theoretical arguments linking multiple dimensions of religious involvement with the sense of control. Relevant hypotheses are then tested using data from the 1996 NORC General Social Survey. On the one hand, several aspects of religious involvement (attendance at services, belief in an afterlife, conservative Protestant affiliation) are positively associated with the sense of control. In addition, afterlife belief and frequency of prayer moderate the links between health problems and the sense of control. However, consistent with the claims of prominent critics, certain religious beliefs (e.g., human sin, biblical literalism) are inversely related to the sense of control.

Culture, Context, and Homicide of the Elderly

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the criminal victimization of elderly persons. Given that homicides of the elderly are thought to occur primarily in the context of robbery/burglary situations, this study seeks to identify situational as well as structural and cultural factors that influence the murder of older persons. In particular, it has been noted that Southern culture promotes a notion that one should ‘respect their elders.’ Using conservative Protestant affiliation as a proxy for Southern culture, this study also examines the relationship between Southern culture and homicide of the elderly. Findings show that Southern culture as reflected in conservative Protestant affiliation does not insulate the elderly from victimization.

Linked Lives, Faith, and Behavior: Intergenerational Religious Influence on Adolescent Delinquency

Research on religion and delinquency has generally concluded that only minor forms of delinquency are affected by religious commitments. However, parents have not often been the focus of religion and delinquency research. This study explores the influence of parental religious identity and behavior on the serious delinquency of adolescent children. This analysis tested an intergenerational model of religious influence on delinquent behavior. Results suggest parental religious devotion protects girls considerably better than boys. In fact, it may amplify delinquency among boys, at least when controlling for other important influences such as autonomy and family satisfaction. Parents' conservative Protestant affiliation displays consistent negative direct effects on delinquency, but little indirect influence. This study reinforces the importance of considering linked lives in the development of youth, as well as the need to assess both direct and indirect religious influences.

Conservative Protestant Childrearing: Authoritarian or Authoritative?

Recent research on conservative Protestantism suggests that religion has reemerged as an important predictor of childrearing attitudes and practices. This research has focused on the distinctive approach toward discipline among conservative Protestant parents. No study, however, has explored the links between conservative Protestantism and positive parental emotion work (physical and verbal expressions of affection). I suggest, paradoxically, that this subculture is characterized both by strict discipline and an unusually warm and expressive style of parent-child interaction. I review parenting advice offered by conservative Protestant leaders, which encourages parents to engage in positive emotion work with their children. I then analyze data from the 1987-1988 National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) to determine if religious affiliation and theological conservatism are related to positive parental emotion work. I find that parents with conservative theological beliefs are more likely to praise and hug their children than are parents with less conservative theological views. Modest positive net effects of conservative Protestant affiliation are also found.

The Impact of Protestant Fundamentalism on Educational Attainment

Sociological interest in the material consequences of religious orientations died out following raging debates during the 1960s and 1970s. Using insider documents from conservative Protestant communities, the authors reopen this issue by examining how fundamentalist Protestant cultural orientations discourage educational pursuits. Using data from the Youth Parent Socialization Panel Study they demonstrate that fundamentalist beliefs and conservative Protestant affiliation both have significant and substantial negative influences on educational attainment above and beyond social background factors

Situational norms for drinking and drunkenness: trends in the US adult population, 1979–1990

Drinking depends on time, place, situation and personal characteristics. Patterns and trends in situational drinking norms (subjective levels of acceptable consumption for various situations) for US adults are reported. Results are based on eight comparable normative questions from national household surveys conducted in 1979 (n = 1772), 1984 (n = 5221 including Hispanic and black oversamples) and 1990 (n = 2058). Across years and population subgroups, a correspondence in ordering of situations on acceptability of drinking and of drunkenness was found. There were contrasting secular trends in the acceptability of drunkenness in different situations: drinking "enough to feel the effects" became more acceptable when at home but less acceptable in several other situations, particularly for men at a bar. For a decreasing percentage of respondents of both genders, it remains more acceptable for men than women to drink in bars, but gender norms in such "wetter" situations were converging by 1990. Men remain more accepting of drinking (but not drunkenness) for "dryer" situations such as when driving, but the trend is towards reduced acceptance. Multiple regression models predicting "acceptance of drinking" and "acceptance of drunkenness" scores showed fair stability in explanatory variables over time, with drinking level and conservative Protestant affiliation (drinking) or age (drunkenness) the major contributors.

Situational norms for drinking and drunkenness: trends in the US adult population, 1979-1990

Drinking depends on time, place, situation and personal characteristics. Patterns and trends in situational drinking norms (subjective levels of acceptable consumption for various situations) for US adults are reported. Results are based on eight comparable normative questions from national household surveys conducted in 1979 (n = 1772), 1984 (n = 5221 including Hispanic and black oversamples) and 1990 (n = 2058). Across years and population subgroups, a correspondence in ordering of situations on acceptability of drinking and of drunkenness was found. There were contrasting secular trends in the acceptability of drunkenness in different situations: drinking “enough to feel the effects” became more acceptable when at home but less acceptable in several other situations, particularly for men at a bar. For a decreasing percentage of respondents of both genders, it remains more acceptable for men than women to drink in bars, but gender norms in such “wetter” situations were converging by 1990. Men remain more accepting of drinking (but not drunkenness) for “dryer” situations such as when driving, but the trend is towards reduced acceptance. Multiple regression models predicting “acceptance of drinking” and “acceptance of drunkenness” scores showed fair stability in explanatory variables over time, with drinking level and conservative Protestant affiliation (drinking) or age (drunkenness) the major contributors.