Paranormal Beliefs: Functional Alternatives to Mainstream Religion?

Using a 1978 national Gallup poll, we test the hypothesis that belief in nonreligious paranormal phenomena is a functional alternative to religion. Results indicate that those with no religious preference, or for whom religious beliefs are unimportant, are more likely to believe in nonreligious and...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Emmons, Charles F. (Author) ; Sobal, Jeff (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer 1981
In: Review of religious research
Year: 1981, Volume: 22, Issue: 4, Pages: 301-312
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Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
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Summary:Using a 1978 national Gallup poll, we test the hypothesis that belief in nonreligious paranormal phenomena is a functional alternative to religion. Results indicate that those with no religious preference, or for whom religious beliefs are unimportant, are more likely to believe in nonreligious and less likely to believe in religious paranormal phenomena. Baptists (in contrast with more liberal Protestant denominations) are more likely to believe in the religious paranormal and less likely to believe in the nonreligious. Controlling for demographic variables reduces but does not eliminate the functional alternative pattern.
ISSN:2211-4866
Contains:Enthalten in: Review of religious research
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3509764