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Beyond the “Three Bs”: How American Christians Approach Faith and Politics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2012

Amanda Friesen  and
Michael W. Wagner
Amanda Friesen*
Affiliation:
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Michael W. Wagner*
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin-Madison
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Amanda Friesen, Department of Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 504 Cavanaugh Hall, 425 University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46202. E-mail: amandajofriesen@gmail.com; or Michael W. Wagner, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5046 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. E-mail: mwagner8@wisc.edu
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Amanda Friesen, Department of Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 504 Cavanaugh Hall, 425 University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46202. E-mail: amandajofriesen@gmail.com; or Michael W. Wagner, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5046 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. E-mail: mwagner8@wisc.edu
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Abstract

While it is well-known that religiosity measures inform modern political alignments and voting behavior, less is known about how people of various religious orthodoxies think about the role of religion in society. To learn more about this veritable “black box” with respect to whether and why people connect their spiritual life to the political world, we conducted several focus groups in randomly selected Christian congregations in a mid-sized Midwestern city. Our analysis offers confirmatory, amplifying, and challenging evidence with respect to the “Three Bs” (believing, behaving, and belonging) perspective on how religion affects politics. Specifically, we show that while contemporary measures of religious traditionalism accurately reflect individuals’ partisan, ideological, and issue preferences, attitudes regarding the broad intersection of faith and politics are perhaps best understood via the presence (or absence) of denominational guidance on questions of the role of religion in society. We conclude by offering suggestions for future survey research seeking to explain the relationship between religion and politics.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , August 2012 , pp. 224 - 252
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2012

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