Archive for the ‘economics’ Category
Dec 19 2011  |
Fewer people may be getting married today, but there is growing evidence that religious beliefs and practices can have a significant influence on the quality of marital relationships. One study finds couples who pray together and share religious values are more likely to express affection and love, perform acts of kindness and be less critical of their partners
[Read Full Column...]Oct 4 2011 |
The optimists’ perspective of the coming retirement crunch facing U.S. churches is that many older clergy will have the income to leave full-time positions, but the health and sense of vocation to serve smaller rural and urban churches unable to afford full-time clergy. The pessimists’ perspective is that many spiritual leaders, financially ill-prepared for retirement, will stay on in pastorates as long as they can, exacerbating the clergy age gap and impeding efforts for denominational revitalization. There is evidence to support both viewpoints. What is not in dispute, however, is that the time to address the issue is now.
[Read Full Column...]Sep 20 2011 |
The American Dream lives on in the hearts of many of the nation’s most devout believers despite the prolonged recession and continued high unemployment. More than half of Americans who are convinced God has a plan for their lives still strongly believe that, “Anything is possible for those who work hard,” according to the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey. This belief and other endorsements of free-market economics may hold workplace benefits for individuals, but also could have an impact on the larger debates that have gridlocked government over whether to respond to the recession with less or more government intervention to meet the needs of struggling Americans.
[Read Full Column...]Jul 30 2011 |
The nation is hovering near financial crisis. More and more Americans are falling into poverty. Universal health care, Social Security and Medicare have become political bargaining chips. But many Americans have decided only the wealthiest of the wealthy bear responsibility for paying higher taxes. Religious groups would seem to be in a strong position to raise ethical questions about individual responsibility for the common good. Yet research indicates that faith groups have a mixed record in getting people to share their wealth and possessions with their neighbors in need.
[Read Full Column...]Jun 18 2011 |
The multibillion dollar gambling industry keeps racking up political victories as states expand lotteries and make way for casinos in the hopes of raising revenue that do not require tax hikes. However, efforts to oppose the personal and social ills of gambling by religious groups have not been in vain, according to a developing body of research. People who attend church regularly and have a high percentage of close friends in the congregation are among the least likely Americans to have gambling problems, according to a new study on religion and gambling among U.S. adults.
[Read Full Column...]May 6 2011 |
Is there a Groupon solution for houses of worship? Congregations struggling to emerge from the recession may be leery of encouraging “free riders,” individuals who use church services without paying the costs of providing those goods. But while attracting new members with free or reduced-price services may be risky investments, allowing some free riding also is necessary for the future of the church, some scholars conclude.
[Read Full Column...]Oct 3 2010 |
There are few times in life likely to renew faith as the birth of a child. New research suggests poor urban parents and their children may find special sources of support in religious communities that can lead to brighter futures and reduced stress. But the research also raises questions about how well congregations are welcoming poor parents in their midst. Even for the child who’s got his own, a lack of parental involvement makes it that much harder to keep the faith.
[Read Full Column...]Jul 15 2010 |
Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: You would be happier in church on Sunday mornings. That is the finding of one of two new studies on competition for church members’ time presented at the recent annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics and Culture. Another study shows many congregations are finding success offering secular programs such as exercise classes and book discussions alongside religious activities. The common theme: Religious groups cannot stand on the sidelines in the stiffening competition for the time, talents and treasure of potential worshippers.
[Read Full Column...]Jun 24 2010 |
If we build it, they will come has been the hope for centuries of congregations seeking to grow in the religious marketplace. But some researchers are observing an increasing willingness by local governments to challenge religious construction projects despite a federal law designed to protect religious freedom. And it is no small matter. Denying property rights to faith groups “may even represent a more invidious attack on basic religious liberties than whether ‘under God’ should appear in the Pledge of Allegiance,” says political scientist Anthony Gill of the University of Washington.
[Read Full Column...]Jan 6 2010 |
As the nation prepares to celebrate black history month, the Panel Study of American Religion and Ethnicity gives us a bracing perspective of just how far apart black and white Americans are on race. If you are a white Protestant, the study found, race is not a major concern. The vast majority said they did not experience racial prejudice. that race is not important to the sense of who they are and they really do not think about race that much. In contrast, race is something more than four in 10 black Protestant respondents said they think about every day. Even more disturbing, given such a wide gap in understanding, a plurality of respondents said race relations would improve if the country stopped talking about race.
[Read Full Column...]
ARDA's 
