When Spiritual and Material Meet: Explaining Congregational Engagement in the Local Community
Places of worship are often vital local institutions, providing needed social services and engaging in the community. Yet, there is much we do not know about why certain congregations are more involved in the community than others. This article looks beyond mission orientation to more deeply examine...
| Published in: | Interdisciplinary journal of research on religion |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
[publisher not identified]
[2020]
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| In: |
Interdisciplinary journal of research on religion
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
USA
/ Church congregation
/ Social engagement
/ Municipality
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| RelBib Classification: | CH Christianity and Society RA Practical theology RG Pastoral care RK Charity work |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei registrierungspflichtig) |
| Summary: | Places of worship are often vital local institutions, providing needed social services and engaging in the community. Yet, there is much we do not know about why certain congregations are more involved in the community than others. This article looks beyond mission orientation to more deeply examine how theology motivates engagement. Using a multi-method approach, we examine clergy survey data and interview data (n=64) from a single city in the Southern United States to provide an in-depth look at congregational community engagement. Through t-tests, regression analysis, and qualitative analysis, we find that when spiritual and material concerns are theologically linked, congregations are significantly more likely to be engaged in the community. This result holds even when other influences on community engagement are taken into account through a regression model. These findings challenge current distinctions in the literature and emphasize the theological importance of community engagement for some congregations. |
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| ISSN: | 1556-3723 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Interdisciplinary journal of research on religion
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