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Attachment to God, Tenure, Race, and Participation in Congregational Life

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Review of Religious Research

Abstract

The vitality of religious congregations is dependent on how effectively they attract congregants and mobilize participation, and people are more likely to participate when they share similar characteristics with other congregants. This study suggests attachment to God is a fundamental “behavioral and intrapersonal characteristic” which distinguishes participants from one another, contributing to varying levels of participation in congregational and religious life beyond service attendance. Using a national sample, we test several hypotheses related to this theoretical claim. Findings suggest that: (1) secure attachment to God is positively associated with congregational participation, (2) anxious and avoidant attachment are negatively associated with participation, (3) these relationships are moderated by length of time attending a particular congregation, and (4) secure attachment is associated with higher levels of participation in congregational life for blacks than it is for whites. By demonstrating a link between attachment to God and participation in congregational and religious life, this study affirms that intrapersonal characteristics structure the dynamics of religious congregations.

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Notes

  1. Over two dozen variables were compared between BRS and GSS. Results available by request.

  2. For more information about the Baylor Religion Survey, see Bader, Mencken, and Froese (2007).

  3. Contrast category was rotated to test for additional interactive effects.

  4. This is similar to the tack suggested by some in the Church Growth movement as it relates to the challenge of racially integrating congregations (see Wagner 1979). In that case, congregations are encouraged to eschew ethnic diversity and cater specifically to a particular ethnic group.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Kevin D. Dougherty and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97326, Waco, TX, 76798-7326, USA

    Blake Victor Kent & W. Matthew Henderson

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  1. Blake Victor Kent
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  2. W. Matthew Henderson
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Correspondence to Blake Victor Kent.

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Kent, B.V., Henderson, W.M. Attachment to God, Tenure, Race, and Participation in Congregational Life. Rev Relig Res 59, 319–340 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-017-0289-2

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