W(h)ither the Mainline? Trends and Prospects
Total membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been declining for half a century. Sharp decreases in the late 1960s and early 1970s were followed by more modest losses for the next 25 years, with sharper declines returning at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Analysis of denomina...
| Published in: | Review of religious research |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer
[2017]
|
| In: |
Review of religious research
|
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
USA
/ Protestant Church
/ Member
/ Decrease of
/ History 1970-2017
|
| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBQ North America KDD Protestant Church |
| Further subjects: | B
Mainline membership loss
B Mainline Protestants B U.S. religious trends B Components of membership change |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Total membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been declining for half a century. Sharp decreases in the late 1960s and early 1970s were followed by more modest losses for the next 25 years, with sharper declines returning at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Analysis of denominational data on the components of change reveals two major factors linked to the most recent drop: departures of schismatic congregations in five denominations that have liberalized gay- and lesbian-related policies, and fewer individuals joining mainline denominations. Furthermore, child baptism rates are dropping and, in at least one denomination, the ratio of child professions of faith to child baptisms a decade earlier has fallen faster than membership over the past 13 years. These findings are largely consistent with previous research using national survey data that shows low fertility in the mainline, a drop in transfers into the mainline from more conservative churches, and general increases in the percent of the U.S. population with no religious affiliation. Together, the evidence strongly suggests continued mainline membership losses for the indeterminate future. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s13644-017-0288-3 |