Salience and congregational growth : revisiting the strictness thesis.

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorDougherty, Kevin D.
dc.contributor.authorFerguson, Todd W.
dc.contributor.departmentSociology.en_US
dc.contributor.schoolsBaylor University. Dept. of Sociology.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2013-09-16T13:04:04Z
dc.date.available2013-09-16T13:04:04Z
dc.date.copyright2013-05
dc.date.issued2013-09-16
dc.description.abstractSince Kelley’s (1972) Why Conservative Churches Are Growing, scholars have examined the relationship between congregational strictness and growth. This paper seeks to further develop the strict church thesis by suggesting that strictness leads to growth when it addresses salient issues. Using binary logistic regression to analyze data from the 2000 Faith Communities Today survey, I find that, while overall strictness continues to be positively associated with congregational growth, only prohibitions that are salient within a religious tradition have an impact on congregational growth. Therefore, this study supports a more nuanced understanding of strictness. Strictness does not always lead to congregational growth. Instead, growth is contingent upon an issue’s salience.en_US
dc.description.degreeM.A.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2104/8746
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisheren
dc.rightsBaylor University theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.accessrightsWorldwide access.en_US
dc.rights.accessrightsAccess changed 8/25/15.
dc.subjectStrict church theory.en_US
dc.subjectCongregations.en_US
dc.subjectChurch growth.en_US
dc.subjectSalience.en_US
dc.titleSalience and congregational growth : revisiting the strictness thesis.en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Todd_Ferguson_Masters.pdf
Size:
248.55 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Thesis
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Todd_Ferguson_Copyright-availability.pdf
Size:
90.89 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Copyright
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.87 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Theses/Dissertations - Sociology