Friday, January 5, 2018

"Intensity"

If you regularly read the journal "Sociological Science," I'd be surprised. I don't either. But I did find an article there that's plenty interesting, "The Persistent and Exceptional Intensity of American Religion: A Response to Recent Research."

Some research in the last few years (example) seems to show that "American religion is fading into irrelevance" like religion in other countries (i.e. the rise of the "nones"). But this article says that it's only "moderate" religion that is declining.

They say that "intense" religion is characterized by "strong affiliation, very frequent practice, literalism, and evangelicalism."  (Oh this is fun, they're describing me and my church friends ðŸ˜Š) And, this intense religion in America is not declining - it's "persistent."

"We conclude that intense religion in the United States is persistent and exceptional in ways that do not fit the secularization thesis."

Yes, that's us, and we're all in.

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