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Comparing Evangelicals in the United States and Canada

Lydia Bean

in The Politics of Evangelical Identity: Local Churches and Partisan Divides in the United States and Canada

This chapter introduces two Baptist churches and two Pentecostal churches, matched on either side of the U.S.–Canada border. It conducts participant observation in two evangelical churches located in ... More

This chapter introduces two Baptist churches and two Pentecostal churches, matched on either side of the U.S.–Canada border. It conducts participant observation in two evangelical churches located in Buffalo, New York—one Baptist and one Pentecostal. Since 2004, it has become increasingly obvious to American observers that the Christian Right is in a struggle with alternative evangelical voices. As a loose coalition, conservative Protestants have never had a centralized religious authority who could speak for the religious tradition, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops speaks for Catholics. Christian Right leaders like Charles McVety represent themselves as the political arm of evangelicalism, characterizing this group's values and policy priorities in the public sphere.Less

 Connections and Contradictions: Exploring the Complex Linkages between Faith and Family

John P. Bartkowski

in Everyday Religion: Observing Modern Religious Lives

This chapter explores the strategies that Conservative Protestant (evangelical) men utilize to negotiate secular concerns and sacred convictions in the context of their marriage and family ... More

This chapter explores the strategies that Conservative Protestant (evangelical) men utilize to negotiate secular concerns and sacred convictions in the context of their marriage and family relationships. The narratives of domestic life, told by conservative religious husbands and fathers, reveal that these men do not conform to the authoritarian gender model of male household leadership that one would assume corresponds with a patriarchal faith. Rather, this study underscores the dynamism, flexibility, and negotiated character of conservative Protestant family relationships.Less

Conservative Christians in American Politics

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

Conservative Christians are the center of attention when the discussion turns to values. But their voting priorities and internal divisions are widely and wildly misunderstood. For while Conservative ... More

Conservative Christians are the center of attention when the discussion turns to values. But their voting priorities and internal divisions are widely and wildly misunderstood. For while Conservative Christians do indeed weigh issues like abortion and homosexuality when making a choice between political parties or candidates, they are also very sensitive to economic concerns. This chapter presents convincing evidence that economic interests sharply divide Conservative Christians—maybe even more than other Americans. The chapter also raises several other issues relevant to stereotypes about and critiques of Conservative Protestants. It looks for evidence of greater racial prejudice and finds none; it looks for other kinds of intolerance and finds some. It assesses the election night paradigm of red states and blue states and finds that religious composition of states is a big part of that story. Throughout two kinds of differences are addressed—those between Conservative Protestants and Americans with other religion or no religion and those that divide Conservative Protestants from one another.Less

Conservative Christians in the “Sexual Revolution”

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

This chapter addresses two questions: (1) Are the sexual attitudes and behaviors of Conservative Protestants significantly different from those of other Americans, especially Mainline Protestants? ... More

This chapter addresses two questions: (1) Are the sexual attitudes and behaviors of Conservative Protestants significantly different from those of other Americans, especially Mainline Protestants? Have they retained the stern sexual ethic of their Puritan predecessors? (2) To what extent have the changes in the larger culture affected the sexual ethics and behavior of Conservative Protestants? It is argued that in some matters Conservative Protestants do have stricter ethical norms than do other Christians and that, also to some extent, they have been affected by the changes in the norms of the larger society but not as much as have other groups.Less

Conservative Christian Growth: Membership Begins at Home1

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

More American Protestants today prefer the Conservative denominations than the Mainline ones. The Conservatives, it is said, have a strong appeal for American Protestants because of their emphasis on ... More

More American Protestants today prefer the Conservative denominations than the Mainline ones. The Conservatives, it is said, have a strong appeal for American Protestants because of their emphasis on traditional evangelical teachings. The Mainline clergy have sent their flocks elsewhere by some combination of liberal politics and “feel-good” religion. By their collective reckoning, the growth of the Conservative denominations represents a reaction against “excessive liberalism” in which people raised in Mainline denominations register displeasure with the (supposed) liberal ethos of Mainline Protestantism by leaving to join denominations that emphasize the Conservative beliefs they share. This chapter aims to dispatch the “excessive liberalism” argument and to supplant it definitively with a demographic one. It shows that for most of the twentieth century, women in Conservative Protestant denominations had more children than women in Mainline denominations. The larger families gave Conservative denominations such a huge demographic advantage that it explains 70 percent of the Conservative upsurge. The remaining 30 percent came from a drop in conversions out of Conservative denominations into the Mainline.Less

A Social Portrait of Conservative Christians

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

Stereotypes about Conservative Protestants abound. Religious issues aside, they are pigeonholed as Southern, uneducated gun owners who live in trailers parks or at least far from town. This chapter ... More

Stereotypes about Conservative Protestants abound. Religious issues aside, they are pigeonholed as Southern, uneducated gun owners who live in trailers parks or at least far from town. This chapter draws a social portrait of Conservative Protestants and other religious traditions from data on where each lives, the race and ethnicity of members, marriage and family patterns, education, socioeconomic status, and key habits and activities. It shows that Conservative Protestants are everywhere—though they are more Southern than other groups. They are whiter because segregation split them from the Afro–American Protestant churches with whom they share most religious precepts and practices. They are also slightly more likely to be married, less educated, and less affluent than many other groups. Most behavioral differences between Conservative Protestants and others reflect these differences of geography, education, and income.Less

Freedom, Inequality, and Conservative Christianity

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

This chapter explores the issues of freedom and equality. Across the board, religious differences in both nationalist and egalitarian values are modest differences of degree. Conservative Protestants ... More

This chapter explores the issues of freedom and equality. Across the board, religious differences in both nationalist and egalitarian values are modest differences of degree. Conservative Protestants are neither extreme in their views of the U.S. place in the world nor ignorant of differences between rich and poor at home. They are nationalistically inclined more than other groups, to a degree and significantly more militaristic. Most important, though, is the way that the differences that exist in the economic worldviews of Conservative Protestants affect their politics. Aside from the income divide that makes working-class and struggling Conservative Protestants far closer to the Democrats, while affluent Conservative Protestants join other affluent Americans in forming the current Republican base, there is also an ideological cleavage that not only corresponds exactly to the material divide but also amplifies it. The political gap between egalitarian and libertarian is wider even than the political gap between those who would gain from redistribution and those who would pay for it.Less

Fieldwork

David Harrington Watt

in Bible-Carrying Christians: Conservative Protestants and Social Power

This book examines the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships were made to seem ... More

This book examines the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships were made to seem natural and which were not, is based on fieldwork in three Philadelphia churches: Oak Grove Church, Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, and the Philadelphia Church of Christ. The fieldwork was conducted in the early 1990s.Less

From Obscenity Outside to Addiction Within

Samuel L. Perry

in Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants

Chapter 1 provides a historical and statistical overview of how the relationship between conservative Protestantism and pornography has changed over time. Conservative Protestants generally did not ... More

Chapter 1 provides a historical and statistical overview of how the relationship between conservative Protestantism and pornography has changed over time. Conservative Protestants generally did not seek to confront pornography as a threat to the church until the 1960s and 1970s. Initially, conservative Protestants wanted to ban pornography through legal means. However, as pornography became more available to the general public and was accepted in the broader society, conservative Protestant leaders became more concerned that church members were also regularly viewing pornography. Today, conservative Protestants describe pornography use as an addiction and believe it is affecting a large proportion of churchgoers, especially men. Conservative Protestant leaders no longer operate under the belief that they can keep pornography away from young people but, rather, feel they must focus their efforts on helping those who are already addicted.Less

Every Man’s Battle?

Samuel L. Perry

in Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants

Chapter 4 considers how the influence of complementarian gender ideology differentially shapes the experiences of conservative Protestant men and women who view pornography. While the moral ... More

Chapter 4 considers how the influence of complementarian gender ideology differentially shapes the experiences of conservative Protestant men and women who view pornography. While the moral incongruence involving pornography use can often be crippling for conservative Protestant men, this chapter shows that conservative Protestant women often experience a “double shame” from their porn use, in that they are violating God’s design for women. More so than men, this shame leaves these women feeling particularly isolated and condemned. The chapter also discusses the challenges women face when it comes to seeking help in their struggle against lust and pornography use.Less

Introduction: “The Greatest Threat”

Samuel L. Perry

in Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants

The book’s introduction begins by describing the growing use and acceptance of pornography in the United States in order to frame the dilemma confronting conservative Protestants. Conservative ... More

The book’s introduction begins by describing the growing use and acceptance of pornography in the United States in order to frame the dilemma confronting conservative Protestants. Conservative Protestants’ connections to modern media and technology leave them vulnerable to the allure of pornography. Today, Christian leaders lament that many young Christian men (and increasingly women) are being ravaged by porn use, with devastating consequences for their spiritual lives, service to the church, and families. The introduction also explains how the book advances research on pornography’s effects by focusing on how culture links sexual practices like porn use with human identity and relationships. Conservative Protestantism provides a prime example of a subculture with a relatively coherent and salient approach to pornography use that can be contrasted with what is becoming a more coherent, secular approach. The introduction defines several subcultural distinctives of conservative Protestantism that shape their experiences of pornography in unique ways.Less

Fifty Shades of Gray Area—On Masturbation

Samuel L. Perry

in Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants

Chapter 2 explains the paradox of conservative Protestants’ interpretations of pornography use and masturbation. Though pornography and masturbation are functionally related, conservative Protestants ... More

Chapter 2 explains the paradox of conservative Protestants’ interpretations of pornography use and masturbation. Though pornography and masturbation are functionally related, conservative Protestants seem to draw a distinction between the two. Conservative Protestants typically condemn pornography unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms, and yet they often take a rather ambivalent view toward solo masturbation, especially if it is done without the aid of pornography. This chapter shows that because conservative Protestants are committed to “biblicism” and “pietistic idealism,” they are more likely to focus on pornography use as the greater sin because it can more clearly be connected to explicit biblical proscriptions against lust and sins of the heart, while masturbation is not explicitly addressed in the Bible and does not necessarily involve the heart. Also, the rise of psychology within conservative Protestantism over the past few decades has served to heighten concern about pornography addiction, while debunking myths connecting masturbation with mental health issues.Less

Fleshly Lusts That War Against the Soul

Samuel L. Perry

in Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants

Chapter 3 explores the consequences of the dissonance conservative Protestants experience in porn use, shaping their religious lives and even mental health. The chapter goes deeper into the history ... More

Chapter 3 explores the consequences of the dissonance conservative Protestants experience in porn use, shaping their religious lives and even mental health. The chapter goes deeper into the history and prevalence of what the author calls “sexual exceptionalism” among conservative Protestants, focusing on porn use in particular. The chapter then draws on numerous interviews with conservative Protestant men and women who describe how their habitual porn use has often caused them to back away from spiritual disciplines like praying or reading the Bible, serving in their churches, or being involved in religious community or leadership. The chapter also makes use of various quantitative data sources to show how pornography use can be associated with religious decline and depression for Americans who violate their own moral convictions by using it.Less

Till Porn Do Us Part?

Samuel L. Perry

in Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants

Chapter 5 shows how pornography use shapes the romantic and family relationships of conservative Protestants in ways that are uniquely destructive. Specifically, he chapter draws on both quantitative ... More

Chapter 5 shows how pornography use shapes the romantic and family relationships of conservative Protestants in ways that are uniquely destructive. Specifically, he chapter draws on both quantitative data and qualitative interviews to explain why the sex lives and relationship quality of conservative Protestants tends to suffer more from pornography use compared to those of other Americans. Conservative Protestant men are more likely than other American men to hide their pornography use and lie about it, creating additional sources of conflict and distance between couples. Moreover, conservative Protestant women are more likely than other American women to consider pornography use as a form of “adultery” or “betrayal” and thus when pornography use is discovered, they are more likely to be traumatized by the incident or threaten divorce.Less

Conservative Christians and Catholics: Too Estranged for Alliance

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

This chapter addresses the question of whether anti-Catholic sentiments among Conservative Christians still persist. It examines two slurs—Catholics are not permitted to think for themselves and the ... More

This chapter addresses the question of whether anti-Catholic sentiments among Conservative Christians still persist. It examines two slurs—Catholics are not permitted to think for themselves and the Rosary is a superstitious devotion. About a third of Americans who are not Catholic accept the two slurs, another third refuse to either agree or disagree, and a final third reject them. Denial of Catholic freedom to think correlates significantly only with two variables—South and Conservative Christian. When the same battery is applied to the Rosary, women are more likely to reject the charge that the Rosary is superstitious and Southerners and Conservative Protestants continue to be less likely than other Americans to reject it. Among the Conservative Protestants, the Pentecostals are even more inclined to accept the anti-Catholic stereotypes.Less

Conclusion

Samuel L. Perry

in Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants

The conclusion briefly recapitulates and integrates previous chapters in order to outline implications both for research on pornography use and for religious life in the United States. It ends by ... More

The conclusion briefly recapitulates and integrates previous chapters in order to outline implications both for research on pornography use and for religious life in the United States. It ends by drawing out important takeaways and challenges for conservative Protestant communities for whom pornography is not only a moral problem but also one that has severe consequences for their psychological well-being and relationships. The conclusion offers a critique of the conservative Protestant distinctives that are discussed in previous chapters and proposes practical adjustments on the part of Christian leaders and communities. These critiques involve conservative Protestants’ complementarian views on differences in gender and sexuality; their adherence to “sexual exceptionalism,” and their individualistic approach to pornography recovery.Less

Happiness and Lifestyle among Conservative Christians

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

This chapter tests the hypothesis that religious people are happier than people who have neither companionship nor faith. It shows that religion per se is the causal factor in religious peoples' ... More

This chapter tests the hypothesis that religious people are happier than people who have neither companionship nor faith. It shows that religion per se is the causal factor in religious peoples' greater happiness; it cannot be sloughed off as a consequence of correlated but substantively irrelevant factors. Adherence to the Bible principles in the Bible-oriented Conservative Protestant denominations also increases happiness. Active and affective religiosity are the catalysts for happiness. Passive belief has no effect. Attendance accounts for the relationship between affiliation and attendance in the United States. Feeling close to God and finding strength and comfort in one's religion explains about half of the relationship between attendance and happiness.Less

Conclusions

in The Truth about Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe

This study of Conservative Christians began with the intention of exploring the social and demographic condition of these Christians and with the hope of ascertaining whether conservative religious ... More

This study of Conservative Christians began with the intention of exploring the social and demographic condition of these Christians and with the hope of ascertaining whether conservative religious belief necessarily correlated with conservative political orientation. It finds that approximately a fifth of white Americans belong to the denominations that might legitimately be categorized as conservative. Roughly half of that fifth were strictly “evangelical” in the sense that they believed in the literal, word-for-word inerrancy of the Bible. The Conservative Protestants were more likely to be from the South and somewhat less likely to have pursued a college education. But these differences were not large. The political cartoonists' images of uneducated “rednecks” from the South miss their mark badly; it is not only offensive but inaccurate.Less