The Discursive and Practical Influence of Spirituality on Civic Engagement

Religion has long been recognized as promoting civic engagement. Recent declines in organized religion and growing interest in spirituality raise the question of whether spirituality might also promote civic engagement. Using data from a new nationally representative survey, we assess the independen...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Steensland, Brian 1967- (Author) ; King, David P. (Author) ; Duffy, Barbara J. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2022
In: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Year: 2022, Volume: 61, Issue: 2, Pages: 389-407
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B USA / Spirituality / Political participation / Citizen participation
IxTheo Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
AG Religious life; material religion
KBQ North America
Further subjects:B Spirituality
B Survey
B Religion
B Civic Engagement
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Summary:Religion has long been recognized as promoting civic engagement. Recent declines in organized religion and growing interest in spirituality raise the question of whether spirituality might also promote civic engagement. Using data from a new nationally representative survey, we assess the independent and joint influence of spirituality and religion on civic life. We find that 40% of respondents perceive spirituality as influencing their civic engagement. Spirituality's influence typically appears in tandem with religion, but when spirituality and religion are distinct, the influence of spirituality is greater and more prevalent. Using two distinct measures, we assess the influence of spirituality on civic engagementat both discursive and practical levels. We find positive associations for both. Spirituality is both a conscious influence and tacit resource in civic life. We close by briefly outlining an agenda for better understanding socially engaged spirituality.
ISSN:1468-5906
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12788