RT Article
T1 Congregational Size and Attitudes towards Racial Inequality among Church Attendees in America
JF Religions
VO 6
IS 3
SP 781
OP 793
A1 Cobb, Ryon J.
A1 Dougherty, Kevin D.
A1 Park, Jerry Z.
A1 Perry, Samuel L.
LA English
PB MDPI
YR 2015
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1586057502
AB Research suggests that congregational characteristics are associated with the racial attitudes of American churchgoers. This study examines the relationship between congregational size and beliefs about the Black/White socioeconomic gap among religious adherents. Method. Drawing upon data from the General Social Survey and the National Congregations Study, we fit binary logistic regression models to estimate the association between congregational size and Americans' explanations of Black/White economic inequality. Results. Findings reveal that attendees of larger congregations are less likely than attendees of smaller congregations to explain racial inequality as the result of the racial discrimination. The likelihood of explaining racial inequality in terms of personal motivation does not vary by congregation size. Conclusion. Despite the growing diversity in larger congregations in America, such congregations may steer attendees' views about racial inequality away from systemic/structural factors, which may attenuate the ability of such congregations to bridge racial divisions.
K1 racial attitudes
K1 Church Attendance
K1 Congregation size
K1 racial inequality
DO 10.3390/rel6030781