The Mobilization of Evangelical Protestants in the Nonprofit Sector: Parachurch Foundings Across U.S. Counties, 1998-2016

The political mobilization of evangelicals has been widely chronicled, but their mobilization in the civil sector has received far less attention. That mobilization is embodied in parachurch organizations, which are nonprofits infused with religious purpose but independent of congregations and denom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the scientific study of religion
Authors: Scheitle, Christopher P. 1981- (Author) ; McCarthy, John D. 1940- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2018]
In: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B USA / Evangelical movement / Non-profit organization / Church organization
RelBib Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
KBQ North America
Further subjects:B Parachurch
B foundings
B Organizations
B Nonprofits
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Description
Summary:The political mobilization of evangelicals has been widely chronicled, but their mobilization in the civil sector has received far less attention. That mobilization is embodied in parachurch organizations, which are nonprofits infused with religious purpose but independent of congregations and denominations. Here we examine the features of local communities that account for variation in the creation of parachurch organizations. Drawing upon a broad number of theoretical approaches, we develop a series of expectations about the variation in parachurch foundings across counties. Using IRS registration records and a diverse set of other secondary data sources, we assess the impact of religious structures and cultures, organizational densities, and government and social movement contexts on parachurch foundings across U.S. counties. Our analysis finds that counties with higher rates of adherence to evangelical Protestantism generate more parachurch organizations, but only if the county is not too saturated by evangelicals. On the other hand, counties with higher rates of adherence to Catholic, mainline Protestant, and Latter-Day Saint traditions generate fewer parachurch organizations.
ISSN:1468-5906
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12523