Browsing by Author "Edwards, Kimberly D. (Kimberly Denise), 1987-"
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Item Filled with purpose : the effects of deviant religious experiences on sense of purpose.(2012-08-08) Edwards, Kimberly D. (Kimberly Denise), 1987-; Mencken, Frederick Carson, 1964-; Sociology.; Baylor University. Dept. of Sociology.The discourse on religious compensators argues that people will pursue different religious experiences and activities based on the social class in which they belong because the rewards of religion are contingent upon one’s social and economic class (Stark & Bainbridge, 1987). To further examine religion and one’s feelings of purpose, I develop and test the hypothesis that the impact of a supernatural encounter with God will be much stronger for those who belong to the marginalized class of individuals who did not complete a high school education. Based on previous literature, the expectation of this study is that individuals without a high school degree will be more likely to seek out deviant religious experiences and will be significantly impacted by deviant experiences because the marginalized struggle to find a sense of purpose in other areas of their lives.Item Religious participation during the quarter-life crisis : examining the relationship between congregations and emerging adults.(2015-11-20) Edwards, Kimberly D. (Kimberly Denise), 1987-; Dougherty, Kevin D.The transitional years experienced by emerging adults (ages 18-24) are characterized by an evident decrease of religiosity. Emerging adults consistently report lower levels of prayer, strong affiliation, religious service attendance and religious identity compared to their older counterparts (Uecker, Regnerus, & Vaaler, 2007; Smith & Snell, 2009). While the significance of this pattern has been recognized, very little empirical research has addressed the role of religious congregations in the lives of emerging adults. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the relationship between congregations and emerging adults. Using a variety of quantitative techniques, I investigate: 1) characteristics related to discontentment with congregations during emerging adulthood, 2) characteristics associated with a congregation’s ability to attract emerging adults, and 3) emerging adults’ social embeddedness within congregations. Applying congregational research addresses an important gap in the study of emerging adult religiosity. Findings of each study are discussed, as are implications and suggestions for future research.