The Resilience of Conservative Religion
The Case of Popular, Conservative Protestant Congregations

Provides an explanation for the resurgence and persistent appeal of conservative religion.

Joseph B. Tamney (Author)

9780521803960, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 January 2002

284 pages, 6 tables
23.7 x 15.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.57 kg

'Tamney can take pride in having touched intelligently on them in theoretical issues surrounding conservative Protestantism, and in having produced a thoughtful, readable, ethnographic update on religion in Middletown.' Canadian Journal of Sociology Online

The resurgence and persistent appeal of conservative religion, not just in the United States, but around the world in the past few decades presents a great challenge to sociologists and to modernization theory. The recent growth and popularity of conservative churches contradicts the idea that late-modern societies - with their emphases on the individual, and separation of church and state, and the cultural fragmentation and secularization that they foster - have outgrown the need for such relics of the past as traditionalist religions. In this book Joseph Tamney offers an explanation for this apparent incongruity by looking at the case of growing, popular, conservative Protestant congregations in the United States. His findings represent a synthesis of ideas from supporters of secularization theory and from those who stress the competitive market of churches in America as a factor in church growth.

1. Explanations for the success of conservative religions
2. The appeal of conservative protestantism in the early-modern United States
3. Spirited church
4. Truth church
5. Caring church
6. Open church
7. Conclusion
Tables
Appendix 1
Appendix 2.

Subject Areas: Sociology: customs & traditions [JHBT], Ethical issues & debates [JFM], Religious institutions & organizations [HRLP]