Measuring Evangelicalism: Consequences of Different Operationalization Strategies

Abstract

Several investigations of American evangelicalism have been conducted in recent decades, yet they conceptualize evangelicalism in different ways. It is not surprising, therefore, that different profiles of the evangelical movement and its adherents emerge from these studies. This research reviews major studies on the subject undertaken since 1976, when evangelicals first attracted national attention. Using data collected in a single data set-the 1998 General Social Survey-we show how measurement strategies employed in different studies yield drastically different pictures of evangelicalism. Conservative measures indicate that only one in 20 Americans is evangelical while one in two is evangelical according to a combination of more expansive measures. The demographic, cultural, and religious characteristics of evangelicals, as well as theories about them, hinge upon how the population is defined.

Charismatic Christianity in Finland, Norway, and Sweden

“…In scholarly literature, various terms are used to emphasize these characteristics: folk religion or lay Christianity, popular Pietism, born-again Christianity, and Evangelicalism (Hackett and Lindsay 2008). The latter term most frequently refers to theologically conservative Protestants.…”

Perceptions of Science Education among African American and White Evangelicals: A Texas Case Study

“…Yet conflict between religion and science is not unusual in the public sphere, particularly in the context of public education, where key religious and scientific actors 'fight' for intelligent design or for evolution in science education curricula (author citation; Berkman and Plutzer 2010;Binder 2007;Plutzer and Berkman 2008). Highlighted at the nexus of science, religion, and education are evangelicals, who, as part of the broader 'conservative Protestant' category, are a major force forming religious public life and discourse in the U.S. (Emerson and Smith 2000;Hackett and Lindsay 2008;Smith et al 1998). …”

How to be (the Author of) Born Again: Charles Colson and the Writing of Conversion in the Age of Evangelicalism

“…Students of the autobiographical form have long asked what survives of an account's authenticity after it has been trussed and tidied in order to enhance its aesthetic status and market appeal ( [35], pp. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. The question may have a special salience with respect to the conversion narrative, given the desire of the convert to be artless and true in his or her own relation to God yet also to provide an intelligible and inspiring example to others, and given that many such accounts are written in the crucible of the conversion process while it is still white-hot.…”