Growing Suburbs,Relocating Churches: The Suburbanization of Protestant Churches in the Chicago Region, 1925–1990

This study examines the locations of Protestant churches in the Chicago region between 1925 and 1990 based on data from the Church Federation of Greater Chicago. The analysis adds two insights to existing explanations of white flight and the corresponding suburbanization of churches: suburbanization patterns were not the same across Protestant groups and churches moving to the suburbs were adding to churches already present in those communities. As the percentage of suburban Protestant churches in the Chicago region started increasing after 1925, the new suburban locations were influenced by settlement patterns in the Chicago region—first along railroad lines and then in between with new sites easier to access by automobile—in addition to racial changes in Chicago neighborhoods and the ethnic composition of denominations. Suggestions for further research include examining the suburbanization of religious groups in more metropolitan regions (particularly beyond the North), comparing the discussions about moving to the suburbs across denominations and congregations, and considering how religious congregations have helped shape suburban communities.     

Institutionalized Norms,Practical Organizational Activity,and Loose Coupling: Inclusive Congregations’ Responses to Homosexuality

Congregations vary widely in their responses to homosexuality. Among those inclusive congregations that integrate gays and lesbians into congregational life, why do some adopt a formal organizational statement of welcoming while others do not? Drawing on the new institutionalism and inhabited institutions literatures, this study is the first quantitative examination of the concept of “loose coupling” within religious organizations regarding homosexuality. Analyses using nationally representative congregational data (National Congregations Study) indicate that particular types of inclusive congregations are more likely to loosely couple their practical activity from their formal organizational stance. These findings suggest that inclusive religious organizations respond to myths and norms from various organizational fields and that agentic actors inhabiting the organization influence it by responding, interpreting, and making sense of those institutional norms. The analyses also indicate that loose coupling is one avenue through which particular types of religious organizations respond to the transformation of societal norms with innovation.     

When There Is Not Enough to Go Around: How Black People’s Perceptions of Competition for Black Mates Affects Forced Black Identity Ascriptions of Black/White Multiracial People

Using a resource scarcity framework, the current study investigated whether Black people’s perceptions of competition for Black mates related to ascribing a Black identity onto Black/White Multiracial people. Participants took online questionnaires that assessed competition for Black mates, likelihood of forcing a Black identity onto a self-identified Black/White Multiracial person, essentialism, and contact with Multiracial people. Results indicated that increased perceptions of competition for Black mates was related to increased forced Black identity onto self-identified Black/White Multiracial people, above and beyond levels of essentialism and contact. This relationship was stronger for sexual minorities. The current research supports the proposition that scarcity of resources (i.e., mates) affects ideologies regarding Black/White Multiracial people’s identities.     

Exploring the Pastoral Dynamics of Mixed-Race Persons

The number of persons in the United States who identify with more than one racial group is a steadily growing segment of the larger population. Yet pastoral care literature has not focused much attention to date on the spiritual care of multiracial people in America. This article intends to begin that conversation by examining their intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics, suggesting four directions of caring, and then exploring five implications for offering compassionate and relevant ministry.     

Taking Racism to Heart: Race-Related Stressors and Cardiovascular Reactivity for Multiracial People

Multiracial people experience an accumulation of racial stress for both their minority and their multiracial identities, yet no research has examined the physiological impact of this stress. This within-groups experimental study examined whether two race-related stressors—identity invalidation and discrimination from family—affect cardiovascular reactivity for Black/White multiracial adults (N = 60). The authors found a Condition × Phase interaction effect indicating that discrimination from family affected blood pressure. Invalidation had no effect on blood pressure. Las personas multirraciales experimentan una acumulación de estrés racial tanto a causa de su identidad multirracial como de su identidad como minoría, pero no hay investigaciones que hayan examinado el impacto psicológico de este estrés. Este estudio experimental dentro de grupos examinó si dos factores causantes de estrés relacionados con la raza (la invalidación de la identidad y la discriminación por parte de la familia) afectan a la reactividad cardiovascular de personas adultas multirraciales blancas/negras (N = 60). Los autores hallaron un efecto de interacción Condición × Fase que indica que la discriminación por parte de la familia tuvo un efecto sobre la presión sanguínea. La invalidación no tuvo efecto sobre la presión sanguínea.     

“Too Much to Hope”: Analyzing Clergy Rhetoric on White Supremacy

As Du Bois observed a century ago, the White Church as an institution is largely associated with maintaining the status quo of racial stratification rather than offering a progressive force. To analyze the rhetoric of predominantly White clergy on race, I analyze a sample of sermons from predominantly White congregations in Charlottesville, VA following the 2017 White supremacist rally (N = 87 sermons from 38 congregations). I find that clergy draw on individualistic, other-worldly, and structural frameworks to explain the causes of and solutions to racism and racial violence. These frameworks carry different consequences; individualistic explanations are associated with calls for self-examination and prayer, while seeing racism as a battle between forces comes limited individual engagement. Further, these frameworks are overlapping within the sermons, clouding the appropriate responses to racial violence. As a whole, these responses largely affirm Du Bois’ low expectations for the White Church in combatting racism and inequality.     

The Roman Catholic Church of Norway and migration challenges

Ever since its re-establishment in Norway in 1843, the Roman Catholic Church has grown steadily. On 1 January 2017, the church had a total membership of approximately 150,000. The reason for the latest, and certainly largest, wave of Catholic migrants to settle in Norway is labour migration resulting from the eastward expansion of the EU in 2004, when Poland and Lithuania joined. About half the Catholic population of Norway originates from these two countries. This article focuses on the following research question: How does the Roman Catholic Church in Norway, represented by sisters in religious communities, priests and ecclesiastical employees, respond to the large influx of Catholic migrants to Norway? The study is based on a qualitative survey consisting of semi-structured interviews with 10 informants, all religious sisters, priests or ecclesiastical employees. Although some informants admit that the strong growth resulting from migration has posed problems, such as tendencies to form ‘parallel congregations’ based on ethnic origin, most expressed a positive view of this influx of migrants and of the future of the Catholic Church in Norway.     

Gendered Organizations and Inequality Regimes: Gender,Homosexuality, and Inequality Within Religious Congregations

Building upon Acker's ( 1990 . Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: A theory of gendered organizations. Gender and Society 4(2):139–58; 2006. Inequality regimes: Gender, class, and race in organizations. Gender and Society 20(4):441–64) theory of gendered organizations and inequality regimes, this study investigates the extent to which inequality in gender and sexuality are linked within religious congregations. Using a nationally representative sample of congregations in the United States, the results demonstrate that a congregation's stance toward allowing women to serve as head clergyperson is significantly associated with its acceptance of gays and lesbians as members or leaders within the congregation. This research extends existing literature in three ways. First, it offers support for the utility of the concept of inequality regimes for investigating dimensions of inequality in addition to gender. Second, it provides evidence of the intersection of gender and sexuality within religious congregations, thereby contributing to the growing dialogue on congregational responses to homosexuality. Finally, these findings propose a number of avenues for future research regarding gender, sexuality, and organizations.     

Religious practices and networks of belonging in an immigrant congregation: the German-speaking Lutheran congregation in Dublin

This article explores how members of the German-speaking Lutheran church in Dublin develop their networks of belonging by taking part in social practices in their congregation. The article addresses the intersection of religious life, migration experience, and belonging. Based on qualitative fieldwork, we assess how social practices embedded in religious activities and beliefs reshape the sense of belonging among members of this congregation. We study the congregation through a material approach while paying attention to its actual religious and social life. The study observes how participation in the social life of the congregation enables its members to create multiple senses of belonging—ethno-cultural, religious, and social belonging. The social life of the congregation aids the preservation of immigrants’ ethno-cultural particularities, societal adaptation, and sense of belonging to their religious community.