In God We Trust: Images of God and Trust in the United States among the Highly Religious

Mencken, F. Carson; Bader, Christopher D.; Embry, Elizabeth

doi:10.1525/sop.2009.52.1.23

Cited by 55 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…However, because of the limitation of the data, the current study could not use a probe nor measure the number of Muslim friends. 3 Previous scholarship has used different and more detailed questions than what this study used to measure the image of God who is angry and judgmental (Froese and Bader 2007;Froese, Bader, and Smith 2008;Mencken, Bader, and Embry 2009). Respondents in other studies were asked how well the adjectives ''critical,'' ''punishing,'' ''severe,'' and ''wrathful'' describe God, out of which an index was made.…”

Section: Data and Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Islamophobia? Religion, Contact with Muslims, and the Respect for Islam

Jung

2012

Review of Religious Research

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In the midst of growing reservations about Muslims in America, this study seeks to explore the factors accounting for Islamophobia by utilizing nationally representative data. The findings suggest that religious affiliations have differential effects on the degree to which one respects Islam, with Christians more likely to have low regard for Islam. The image of a God who punishes his followers for their sins has a positive association with the odds of Islam being least respected among all religions. While higher frequency of contact with Muslims predicts an overall improved opinion for Islam, evangelical and black Protestants present the opposite picture. Their increased exposure to Muslims leads to lower respect for Islam. I discuss the implications of these findings for theories of intergroup contact and subcultural identity.

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Section: Data and Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Islamophobia? Religion, Contact with Muslims, and the Respect for Islam

Jung

2012

Review of Religious Research

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“…Both images appear to be related to the belonging dimension of religiosity and also play a role in non-religious behaviors and attitudes. Mencken et al (2009) find a judgmental image of God to be significantly related to the distrust of neighbors, coworkers, atheists, and people in general, while find that God's judgment is also related to intolerant attitudes toward atheists, homosexuals, racists, and communists. Mencken et al (2009) find a judgmental image of God to be significantly related to the distrust of neighbors, coworkers, atheists, and people in general, while find that God's judgment is also related to intolerant attitudes toward atheists, homosexuals, racists, and communists.…”

Section: Images Of Godmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…A growing body of research has found conceptions of God to be related to a variety of religious and non-religious behaviors and beliefs (Greeley , 1993Ozorak 2003;Bader and Froese 2005;Unnever et al 2005a, b;Bader 2007, 2008;Mencken et al 2009). In assessing the relation between these two dimensions, we have conceptualized God imagery as a manifestation of religious belief and public and private religious practice as indicators of religious behavior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another line of research regarding the influence of God concepts has focused upon two distinct dimensions of God's character: God's perceived level of engagement in the world and God's perceived level of judgment and anger (Bader and Froese 2005;Bader 2007, 2008;Mencken et al 2009). Both images appear to be related to the belonging dimension of religiosity and also play a role in non-religious behaviors and attitudes.…”

Section: Images Of Godmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Religion, Spirituality and Everyday Practice

Giordan¹,

Swatos²

2012

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“…First, mothers and adult children who have similar beliefs may share experiences such as attending church together and have fewer conflicts over religion directly. Second, religious beliefs often guide attitudes and behaviors beyond those directly related to religion (Leege and Kellstedt 1993; Mencken, Bader, and Embry 2009; Sherkat and Ellison 1999), therefore shared religious beliefs would serve to enhance relationship quality by minimizing violations of both family and societal norms and creating fewer disruptions within mother-child relationships. Although this is likely the case in all families, the elevated importance of religion in Black communities (Barnes 2005; Patillo-McCoy 1998) may make this particularly important for Black mothers and their adult children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Perceived Religious Similarity in the Quality of Mother-child Relations in Later Life: Differences Within Families and Between Races

et al. 2010

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Despite evidence of the importance of value similarity in predicting parent-adult child relations, little attention has been given to the unique role of religious similarity. Using 1,407 dyads nested within 390 families, we examine whether religious similarity predicts the quality of mother-child relations in later life, and whether the strength of this association differs by race. Consistent with our hypotheses, religious similarity was found to be an important factor in predicting both closeness and conflict, particularly in Black families. These findings suggest that it may be important to give greater attention to religion when studying patterns of interaction and support in the later years, especially among Black families.The role of similarity in has long been emphasized in scholarship on interpersonal relations. Specifically, it has been argued that structural and value similarities are important in maintaining strong relationships both within and outside of the family (Feld 1982; Heider 1959;Homans 1950;Lazarsfeld and Merton 1954; Suitor and Keeton 1997; Suitor et al. 1995b; Wellman and Wortly 1990). Religious similarity, which intersects structure and values, has been shown to be an especially salient characteristic in explaining relationship quality (Lichter and Carmalt 2009;Louch 2000;Vaaler, Ellison, and Powers 2009), including between parents and offspring in childhood and young adulthood (Pearce and Axinn 1998; Stokes and Regnerus 2009). However, little attention has been directed toward examining the role of religious similarity in relations between middle-aged adult children and older parents. In the present paper we address this issue, using data on 1407 motherchild dyads nested within 390 families from the Within-Family Differences Study (Suitor and Pillemer, 2001). We focus on two specific research questions: 1) Does similarity of religious values predict the quality of mother-child relationships in later life; and 2) do race differences in the salience of religiosity moderate the relationship between religious value similarity and the quality of mother-child relations?* Please direct all correspondence to Jori Sechrist, Purdue University, Department of Sociology, 700 W. State St., Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 417907, 765.494.8770, sechristj@purdue.edu. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptRes Aging. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 January 1. Published in final edited form as:Res Aging. 2011 January 1; 33(1): 3-27. doi:10.1177/0164027510384711. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript Similarity and Parent-Child RelationsThe importance of similarity in interpersonal relations has been highlighted in both classic and contemporary scholarship. Heider (1959), Homans (1950), andMerton (1968) argued that similarity played a central role in establishing and maintaining cohesion in both dyads and larger groups. For more than five decades empirical research has demonstrated that individuals are more likely to develop and maintain strong relatio...

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In God We Trust: Images of God and Trust in the United States among the Highly Religious

Cited by 55 publications

References 41 publications

Islamophobia? Religion, Contact with Muslims, and the Respect for Islam

Islamophobia? Religion, Contact with Muslims, and the Respect for Islam

Religion, Spirituality and Everyday Practice

The Role of Perceived Religious Similarity in the Quality of Mother-child Relations in Later Life: Differences Within Families and Between Races

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