Measuring Religion in Terms of Belonging, Beliefs, and Behavior
Measuring Religion in Terms of Belonging, Beliefs, and Behavior
- Corwin E. SmidtCorwin E. SmidtDepartment of Political Science, Calvin College
Summary
Religion is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, and scholars have taken different approaches to measuring religion in seeking to study religion’s influence on political attitudes and behavior. One analytical strategy for assessing the influence of religion politically among members of the mass public has been to adopt what is known as the “3B” approach. Though this approach can be applied across different cultural contexts, it has been widely adopted in the American context because of the multiplicity of denominational affiliations present in American life. Associated with this approach in the American context is the concept of religious traditions, particularly the presence of subtraditions within the Christian faith, and the associated measurement strategy for assigning such affiliations to their specific religious tradition. The approach offers various analytical advantages, but it constitutes an analytical strategy and not a specific theoretical explanation about how different facets of religious life necessarily shape political attitudes and behavior.
Keywords
Subjects
- Political Values, Beliefs, and Ideologies