Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T16:01:33.069Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bridging Religion and Politics: The Impact of Providential Religious Beliefs on Political Activity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 March 2015

Rebecca A. Glazier
Rebecca A. Glazier*
Affiliation:
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Rebecca A. Glazier, Department of Political Science, Stabler Hall 603, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204-1099. E-mail: raglazier@ualr.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Past research shows that religious beliefs can shape political activity. Yet current literature leaves open many questions about the mechanisms at work. I point to the key role of a particular religious belief found across denominations: providentiality, or the belief that God has a plan that humans can further. When these beliefs are connected to politics, providential believers are likely to be active and dedicated participators. I test this notion using survey data collected during the 2012 election campaign from congregants in Little Rock, Arkansas. In general, providential believers are less likely than their non-providential counterparts to participate in politics. However, when providential believers report hearing political sermons from their clergy, they are significantly more likely to participate. These findings illustrate one pathway by which religious beliefs can influence politics: through a cue that links providentiality and politics.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2015 , pp. 458 - 487
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Albertson, Bethany L. 2014. “Dog-Whistle Politics: Multivocal Communication and Religious Appeals.” Political Behavior 1–24.Google Scholar
Bader, Christopher, and Froese, Paul. 2005. “Images of God: The Effect of Personal Theologies on Moral Attitudes, Political Affiliation, and Religious Behavior.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion 1:2–24.Google Scholar
Barker, David C., and Bearce, David H.. 2013. “End-times Theology, the Shadow of the Future, and Public Resistance to Addressing Global Climate Change.” Political Research Quarterly 66:267–279.Google Scholar
Barker, David C., Hurwitz, Jon, and Nelson, Traci L.. 2008. “Of Crusades and Culture Wars: ‘Messianic’ Militarism and Political Conflict in the United States.” The Journal of Politics 70:307–322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartels, Larry. 2009. “Priming and Persuasion in Presidential Campaigns.” In Capturing Campaign Effects, eds. Brady, Henry E., and Johnston, Richard. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 78–114.Google Scholar
Baylor. 2011. The Values and Beliefs of the American Public: Wave III Baylor Religion Survey. Waco, TX: Baylor University.Google Scholar
Beatty, Kathleen Murphy, and Walter, Oliver. 1989. “A Group Theory of Religion and Politics: The Clergy as Group Leaders.” The Western Political Quarterly 42:129–146.Google Scholar
Ben-Nun Bloom, Pazit, and Arikan, Gizem. 2013. “Priming Religious Belief and Religious Social Behavior Affects Support for Democracy.” International Journal of Public Opinion Research 25:368–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beyerlein, Kraig, and Chaves, Mark. 2003. “The Political Activities of Religious Congregations in the United States.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42:229–246.Google Scholar
Brady, Henry E., Verba, Sidney, and Schlozman, Kay Lehman. 1995. “Beyond SES: A Resource Model of Political Participation.” American Political Science Review 89:271–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broughton, Walter. 1978. “Religiosity and Opposition to Church Social Action: A Test of a Weberian Hypothesis.” Review of Religious Research 19:154–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burwell, Rebecca, Hernandez, Edwin I., Pena, Milagros, Smith, Jeffrey, and Sikkink, David. 2010. The Chicago Latino Congregations Study (CLCS): Methodological Considerations. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame, Institute for Latino Studies.Google Scholar
Calfano, Brian Robert, and Djupe, Paul A. 2009. “God Talk Religious Cues and Electoral Support.” Political Research Quarterly 62:329–339.Google Scholar
Calhoun-Brown, Allison. 1996. “African American Churches and Political Mobilization: The Psychological Impact of Organizational Resources.” Journal of Politics 58:935–953.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, Andrea Louise. 2002. “Self-Interest, Social Security, and the Distinctive Participation Patterns of Senior Citizens.” American Political Science Review 96:565–574.Google Scholar
Campbell, David E. 2004. “Acts of Faith: Churches and Political Engagement.” Political Behavior 26:155–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, David E., and Monson, J. Quin. 2007. “Dry Kindling: A Political Profile of American Mormons.” In From Pews to Polling Places: Faith and Politics in the American Religious Mosaic, ed. Wilson, J. Matthew Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 105–130.Google Scholar
Chaiken, Shelly, Giner-Sorolla, Roger, and Chen, Serena. 1996. “Beyond Accuracy: Defense and Impression Motives in Heuristic and Systematic Information Processing.” In The Psychology of Action: Linking Cognition and Motivation to behavior, eds. Gollwitzer, Peter M., and Bargh, John A. New York, NY: Guilford, 553–578.Google Scholar
Crawford, Sue E.S., and Olson, Laura R.. 2001. Christian Clergy in American Politics. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Calfano, Brian R.. 2009. “Justification Not by faith Alone: Clergy Generating Trust and Certainty by Revealing Thought.” Politics and Religion 2:1–30.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Calfano, Brian R.. 2013. “Divine Intervention? The Influence of Religious Value Communication on US Intervention Policy.” Political Behavior 35:643–663.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Gilbert, Christopher P.. 2003. The Prophetic Pulpit: Clergy, Churches, and Communities in American Politics. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Gilbert, Christopher P.. 2006. “The Resourceful Believer: Generating Civic Skills in Church.” Journal of Politics 68:116–127.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Gilbert, Christopher P.. 2009. The Political Influence of Churches. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Grant, J. Tobin. 2001. “Religious Institutions and Political Participation in America.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 40:303–314.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Gwiasda, Gregory W.. 2010. “Evangelizing the Environment: Decision Process Effects in Political Persuasion.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 49:73–86.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Neiheisel, Jacob R.. 2012. “How Religious Communities Affect Political Participation Among Latinos.” Social Science Quarterly 93:333–355.Google Scholar
Driskell, Robyn, Embry, Elizabeth, and Lyon, Larry. 2008. “Faith and Politics: The Influence of Religious Beliefs on Political Participation.” Social Science Quarterly 89:294–314.Google Scholar
Driskell, Robyn L., and Lyon, Larry. 2011. “Assessing the Role of Religious Beliefs on Secular and Spiritual Behaviors.” Review of Religious Research 52:386–404.Google Scholar
Driskell, Robyn L., Lyon, Larry, and Embry, Elizabeth. 2008. “Civic Engagement and Religious Activities: Examining the Influence of Religious Tradition and Participation.” Sociological Spectrum 28:578–601.Google Scholar
Druckman, James N. 2001 “On the Limits of Framing Effects: Who Can Frame?” Journal of Politics 63:1041–1066.Google Scholar
Ellis, Christopher, and Stimson, James A.. 2012. Ideology in America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finke, Roger, and Adamczyk, Amy. 2008. “Cross-National Moral Beliefs: The Influence of National Religious Context.” Sociological Quarterly 49:617–652.Google Scholar
Glazier, Rebecca A. 2013. “Divine Direction: How Providential Religious Beliefs Shape Foreign Policy Attitudes.” Foreign Policy Analysis 9:127–142.Google Scholar
Glazier, Rebecca A. 2014. “Providential Religious Beliefs: Toward a Better Understanding of Religiously-motivated Political Behavior.” Presented at the International Studies Association-Midwest Annual Conference. St. Louis.Google Scholar
Guth, James L, Beail, Linda, Crow, Greg, Gaddy, Beverly, Nelsen, Brent, Penning, James, and Walz, Jeff. 2003. “The Political Activity of Evangelical Clergy in the Election of 2000: A Case Study of Five Denominations.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42:501–514.Google Scholar
Guth, James L. 2009. “Religion and American Public Opinion: Foreign Policy Issues.” In The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Politics, eds. Smidt, Corwin, Kellstedt, Lyman, and Guth, James L.. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Guth, James L., Green, JohnC., Smidt, Corwin E., and Kellstedt, Lyman A.. 1997. The Bully Pulpit: The Politics of Protestant Clergy. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.Google Scholar
Guth, James L., Kellstedt, Lyman A., Green, John C., and Smidt, Corwin E.. 2002. “A Distant Thunder? Religious Mobilization in the 2000 Elections.” In Interest Group Politics, eds. Cigler, Allan J., and Loomis, Burdett A.. Washington DC: CQ Press, 161–184.Google Scholar
Guth, James L., Kellstedt, Lyman A., Smidt, Corwin E., and Green, John C.. 2006. “Religious Influences in the 2004 Presidential Election.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 36:223–242.Google Scholar
Harris, Fredrick C. 1994. “Something Within: Religion as a Mobilizer of African-American Political Activism.” Journal of Politics 56:42–68.Google Scholar
Horton, Nicholas J., and Lipsitz, Stuart R.. 2001. “Multiple Imputation in Practice: Comparison of Software Packages for Regression Models with Missing Variables.” The American Statistician 55:244–254.Google Scholar
Hovland, Carl I., Janis, Irving L., and Kelley, Harold H.. 1953. Communication and Persuasion: Psychological Studies of Opinion Change. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.Google Scholar
Huckfeldt, R. Robert, and Sprague, John. 1995. Citizens, Politics and Social Communication: Information and Influence in an Election Campaign. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Huckfeldt, Robert, Plutzer, Eric, and Sprague, John. 1993. “Alternative Contexts of Political Behavior: Churches, Neighborhoods, and Individuals.” Journal of Politics 55:365–381.Google Scholar
Iyengar, Shanto, and Valentino, Nicholas A.. 2000. “Who Says What? Source Credibility as a Mediator for Campaign Advertising.” In Elements of Reason: Cognition, Choice, and the Bounds of Rationality, eds. Lupia, Arthur, McCubbins, Matthew D., and Popkin, Samuel L.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 108–129.Google Scholar
James, William. 1985. The Varieties of Religious Experience. Harvard, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Jelen, Ted G. 1994. “Religion and Foreign Policy Attitudes: Exploring the Effects of Denomination and Doctrine.” American Politics Research 22:382–400.Google Scholar
Jones-Correa, Michael A., and Leal, David L.. 2001. “Political Participation: Does Religion Matter?” Political Research Quarterly 54:751–770.Google Scholar
King, Gary, Honaker, James, Joseph, Anne, and Scheve, Kenneth. 2001. “Analyzing Incomplete Political Science Data: An Alternative Algorithm for Multiple Imputation.” American Political Science Review 95:49–69.Google Scholar
Kohut, Andrew, Green, John C., Keeter, Scott, and Toth, Robert C.. 2000. The Diminishing Divide: Religion's Changing Role in American Politics. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.Google Scholar
Krosnick, Jon A. 1989. “Attitude Importance and Attitude Accessibility.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 15:297–308.Google Scholar
Krosnick, Jon A., Boninger, David S., Chuang, Yao C., Berent, Matthew K., and Carnot, Catherine G.. 1993. “Attitude Strength: One Construct or Many Related Constructs?” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65:1132–1151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lasswell, Harold D. 1936. Politics: Who Gets What, When, How with Postscript (1958). New York, NY: Meridian-World.Google Scholar
Layman, Geoffrey. 2001. The Great Divide: Religious and Cultural Conflict in American Party Politics. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Leege, David C. 1985. The Fndings of the Notre Dame Study of Catholic Parish Life. Mahwah, NJ: New Catholic World.Google Scholar
Lincoln, C. Eric, and Mamiya, Lawrence H.. 1990. The Black Church in the African American Experience. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.Google Scholar
Little, Roderick J.A., and Rubin, Donald B.. 2002. Statistical Analysis with Missing Data. Hoboken, NJ: WIley.Google Scholar
Lunn, John, Klay, Robin, and Douglass, Andrea. 2001. “Relationships Among Giving, Church Attendance, and Religious Belief: The Case of the Presbyterian Church (USA).” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 40:765–775.Google Scholar
Lupia, Arthur, and McCubbins, Mathew D.. 1998. The Democratic Dilemma: Can Citizens Learn What They Need to Know. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
McDaniel, Eric. 2004. “African Methodist Episcopal Church.” In Pulpit and Politics: Clergy in American Politics at the Advent of the Millennium, ed. Smidt, Corwin E. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 247–258.Google Scholar
McKeown, Bruce, and Carlson, James M.. 1987. “An Experimental Study of the Influence of Religious Elites on Public Opinion.” Political Communication 4:93–102.Google Scholar
Munro, Geoffrey D., Ditto, Peter H., Lockhart, Lisa K., Fagerlin, Angela, Gready, Mitchell, and Peterson, Elizabeth. 2002. “Biased Assimilation of Sociopolitical Arguments: Evaluating the 1996 US Presidential Debate.” Basic and Applied Social Psychology 24:15–26.Google Scholar
Nagel, Jack H. 1987. Participation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Olson, Laura R. 2009. “Clergy and American Politics.” In The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Politics, eds. Smidt, Corwin E., Kellstedt, Lyman A., and Guth, James L.. Oxford Handbooks Online, 371–393.Google Scholar
Page, Benjamin I., and Bouton, Marshall M.. 2006. The Foreign Policy Disconnect: What Americans Want from our Leaders but Don't Get. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Penn, David A. 2007. “Estimating Missing Values from the General Social Survey: An Application of Multiple Imputation.” Social Science Quarterly 88:573–584.Google Scholar
Peterson, Steven A. 1990. Political Behavior: Patterns in Everyday Life. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Peterson, Steven A. 1992. “Church Participation and Political Participation The Spillover Effect.” American Politics Research 20:123–139.Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert D., and Campbell, David E.. 2012. American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Quinley, Harold E. 1974. The Prophetic Clergy: Social Activism among Protestant Ministers. New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar
Rosenstone, Steven, and Hansen, John M.. 1993. Mobilization, Participation and Democracy in America. New York, NY: MacMillan.Google Scholar
Royston, Patrick. 2005a. “Multiple Imputation of Missing Values: Update.” Stata Journal 5:1–14.Google Scholar
Royston, Patrick. 2005b. “Multiple Imputation of Missing Values: Update of Ice.” Stata Journal 5:527–536.Google Scholar
Royston, Patrick. 2009. “Multiple Imputation of Missing Values: Further Update of ice, with an Emphasis on Categorical Variables.” Stata Journal 9:466–477.Google Scholar
Rubin, Donald B. 1996. “Multiple Imputation after 18+ Years.” Journal of the American Statistical Association 91:473–489.Google Scholar
Scheufele, Dietram A., and Tewksbury, David. 2007. “Framing, Agenda Setting, and Priming: The Evolution of Three Media Effects Models.” Journal of Communication 57:9–20.Google Scholar
Schlozman, Kay Lehman, Burns, Nancy, and Verba, Sidney. 1999. “‘What Happened at Work Today?’: A Multistage Model of Gender, Employment, and Political Participation.” Journal of Politics 61:29–53.Google Scholar
Schwadel, Philip. 2005. “Individual, Congregational, and Denominational Effects on Church Members' Civic Participation.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 44:159–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sears, David O. 1986. “College Sophomores in the Laboratory: Influences of a Narrow Data Base on Social Psychology's View of Human Nature.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 51:515–530.Google Scholar
Sernett, Milton G. 1991. “Black Religion and the Question of Evangelical Identity.” In The Variety of American Evangelicalism, eds. Dayton, Donald W., and Johnston, Robert K.. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 135–147.Google Scholar
Smidt, Corwin E. 1999. “Religion and Civic Engagement: A Comparative Analysis.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 565:176–192.Google Scholar
Smidt, Corwin E. 2003a. “Clergy in American Politics: An Introduction.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42:495–499.Google Scholar
Smidt, Corwin E. 2003b. Religion as Social Capital: Producing the Common Good. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.Google Scholar
Smidt, Corwin E. 2004. Pulpit and Politics: Clergy in American Politics at the Advent of the Millennium. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.Google Scholar
Stokes, Atiya Kai. 2003. “Latino Group Consciousness and Political Participation.” American Politics Research 31:361–378.Google Scholar
Verba, Sidney, Burns, Nancy, and Schlozman, Kay Lehman. 1997. “Knowing and Caring about Politics: Gender and Political Engagement.” Journal of Politics 59:1051–1072.Google Scholar
Verba, Sidney, and Nie, Norman H.. 1972. Participation in America: Social Equality and Political Democracy. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Verba, Sidney, Schlozman, Kay Lehman, and Brady, Henry E.. 1995. Voice and Equality: civic voluntarism in American Politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Wald, Kenneth D., and Calhoun-Brown, Allison. 2010. Religion and Politics in the United States. 6 ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.Google Scholar
Wald, Kenneth D., Kellstedt, Lyman A., and Leege, David C.. 1993. “Church Involvement and Political Behavior.” In Rediscovering the Religious Factor in American Politics. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharp, 121–38.Google Scholar
Wald, Kenneth D., Owen, Dennis E., and Hill, Samuel S.. 1988. “Churches as Political Communities.” American Political Science Review 82:531–548.Google Scholar
Wald, Kenneth D., Owen, Dennis E., and Hill, Samuel S.. 1990. “Political Cohesion in Churches.” The Journal of Politics 52:197–215.Google Scholar
Wald, Kenneth D., and Smidt, Corwin E.. 1993. “Measurement Strategies in the Study of Religion and Politics.” In Rediscovering the Religious Factor in American Politics, eds. Leege, David C., and Kellstedt, Lyman A.. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharp, 26–52.Google Scholar
Welch, Michael R., Leege, David C., Wald, Kenneth D., and Kellstedt, Lyman A.. 1993. “Are the Sheep Hearing the Shepherds? Cue Perceptions, Congregational Responses, and Political Communication Processes.” In Rediscovering the Religious Factor in American Politics, eds. Leege, David C., and Kellstedt, Lyman A., 235–254. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.Google Scholar
Wielhouwer, Peter W. 2000. “Releasing the Fetters: Parties and the Mobilization of the African-American Electorate.” Journal of Politics 62:206–222.Google Scholar
Wielhouwer, Peter W. 2009. “Religion and American Political Participation.” In The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Politics, eds. Smidt, Corwin E., Kellstedt, Lyman A., and Guth, James L.. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar