The Impact of Congregational Characteristics on Conflict-Related Exit*

Chou, Hui-Tzu Grace

doi:10.1093/socrel/69.1.93

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In fact, this apparent disjunction, I argue, helps to ensure the ideological and organizational viability of the church. At the same time, compared to most contemporary Western settings, where exit from a church, or from organized religion in general, is a widely available and practiced option for church members who disagree with their leadership (Chou, ; Gooren, ), in predominantly rural sub‐Saharan settings, such as the one examined here, this option is socially more costly (Agadjanian, ). As a result, in such settings, negotiation, rather than exit, is a more common strategy to deal with discordant views and preferences, which, in turn, further increases the fluidity of religious norms and elasticity in their application.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Condemned and Condoned: Polygynous Marriage in Christian Africa

Agadjanian

2019

J of Marriage and Family

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ObjectiveThis study contributes to a better understanding of the role of Christianity in the persistence of polygyny in sub‐Saharan Africa. BackgroundMarital systems and practices are closely connected to religious norms, but these connections are often complex and contradictory. Polygynous marriage remains widespread in sub‐Saharan Africa, including its heavily Christianized parts, where public opposition to it should be strongest. MethodsThe study analyzes a rich combination of quantitative and qualitative data from a predominantly Christian district in Mozambique. The data include a household‐based survey, a census of the district's religious congregations, and focus group discussions and individual interviews with leaders and rank‐and‐file members of various churches. ResultsThe multivariate statistical tests point to instructive denominational differences in the prevalence and acceptance of polygyny, with the starkest contrast being between two types of African Initiated Churches—one that is more lenient on pre‐Christian practices and the other that is vehemently opposed to them. These tests also show a contrast between church leaders and rank‐and‐file members, the latter being generally more accepting of polygyny, and illustrate variations in acceptability of polygyny across different church membership scenarios. The analysis of the qualitative data complements the statistical tests by highlighting ideological and social mechanisms through which polygynous marriage is both rejected and legitimized in Christian communities. ConclusionBoth condemnation and toleration of polygyny by Christian churches reflect the complexities of the transformation of sub‐Saharan marital systems and of the role that religion plays in that process.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Condemned and Condoned: Polygynous Marriage in Christian Africa

Agadjanian

2019

J of Marriage and Family

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“…Gilmore (:11) notes that “comparisons between new leaders and their predecessors are inevitable” and that such comparisons were particularly strong when the previous leader was very charismatic, a situation one would expect to find frequently in congregations. In Chou's () study on membership exit related to congregational conflict, however, she found that gender, tenure, and education had no effect on conflict‐exit, that only older leaders were associated with less conflict‐exit, and somewhat surprisingly, that most individual attributes of clergy also had no effect on exit. This suggests that the leadership context may generally be more important than any individual characteristic of a leader as a contributor to conflict‐exit.…”

Section: Causes and Effectsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Disagreements erupt over a variety of issues ranging from hot‐button political issues to style of worship music to congregational finances. Chou (:93) gives an overview of the previous research of sources of conflict, including worship, leadership, gender and sexuality, and church building. A congregation may furthermore factionalize between the new and the established members, younger and older members, the clergy and the parishioners, liberals and conservatives, and members of different racial/ethnic backgrounds.…”

Section: Causes and Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decline and Conflict: Causes and Consequences of Leadership Transitions in Religious Congregations

Dollhopf

Scheitle

2013

Scientific Study of Religion

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Changes in leadership can be difficult for any organization. Leadership transitions in religious congregations might be especially challenging given the personal relationships involved and the spiritual dimension of a leader's position. This complexity often makes it difficult to separate the reasons for the transition from the impacts of the transition. For example, loss of membership and congregational conflict can be both a cause and a consequence of leadership change. Using the 2006-2007 National Congregations Study, this research explores how membership decline and congregational conflict are associated with leadership transitions in religious congregations. Although we find that leadership transitions are associated with conflict and membership decline, we also find that certain factors, such as whether the leader comes from within the congregation and context of the transition, moderate these associations.

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“…Social interactions are not always pleasant, however. Just as within other social groups, social interactions within congregations are also subject to some conflicts (Becker, 1999;Becker et al, 1993;Chou, 2008). Research has indicated that negative social interactions can increase psychological distress (Bertera, 2005;Finch, Okun, Barrera, Zautra, & Reich, 1989;Lincoln, Chatters, & Taylor, 2003;Okun & Keith, 1998;Okun, Melichar, & Hill, 1990).…”

Section: Social Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%