Factors Influencing Religious Non-Attendance among African American Men: A Multimethod Analysis

Autor: Kiu Eubanks, Nyasha A. Grayman, Jacqueline S. Mattis, Max Belkin, Alix A. Zapata, Sharon Cooper, N'Jeri K. Mitchell
Rok vydání: 2004
Předmět:
Zdroj: Review of Religious Research. 45:386
ISSN: 0034-673X
DOI: 10.2307/3511993
Popis: African American men historically have dominated positions of public leadership in Black religious institutions, yet scholars have noted a relative absence of men from communities of worshipers. This study seeks to clarify the reasons for African American male non-attendance through a content analysis of African American men's narrative responses to an open-ended question about their reasons for not attending religious services. We also present empirical data on patterns of early personal and familial religious participation, and on current involvement in non-organizational religious behaviors (e.g., prayer). Explanations for non-attendance include ideological differences with religious institutions, moral, and ethical failings of these institutions (and their members), and lack of interest in or motivation to participate in group worship. Empirical findings indicate that paternal religious participation may be particularly important in shaping the religious participation of African American men. Implications of the quantitative as well as qualitative findings are discussed.
Databáze: OpenAIRE