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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Openness Of Religious Beliefs To The Influence Of External Information, Darin Freeburg
The Openness Of Religious Beliefs To The Influence Of External Information, Darin Freeburg
Faculty Publications
Religious beliefs have important and wide-reaching impacts on society. They also tend to be viewed as impervious to the influence of information external to a religious setting. Eight focus groups were held with attendees of two United Church of Christ congregations. Participants were asked about their core religious beliefs, and transcripts were qualitatively coded for the interplay of belief and infor- mation. Analysis found that beliefs that were focused on people, processes and events external to the congregation showed the char- acteristics of being more open to external information. Specifically, the breadth of these external beliefs allowed for a wider …
Intellectual Capital In Churches: Matching Solution Complexity With Problem Complexity, Darin Freeburg
Intellectual Capital In Churches: Matching Solution Complexity With Problem Complexity, Darin Freeburg
Faculty Publications
The problems organizations face have varying degrees of complexity. What is not often understood, however, is that the knowledge needed to solve these problems also varies in complexity, and should match the complexity of the problem itself. The current study provides grounded theory for how leaders in churches should approach problems relating to Intellectual Capital (IC) assets. These intangible assets are crucial to the ability of churches to create value that enriches the lives of individuals in their communities. In two, 90-minute focus groups, the leadership team of a United Methodist Church in South Carolina, USA was asked about their …
The 2012 U.S. Election And Political Messages In Sermons, Daniel Roland, Darin S. Freeburg
The 2012 U.S. Election And Political Messages In Sermons, Daniel Roland, Darin S. Freeburg
Faculty Publications
This study sought to determine to what degree clergy members of various denominations mentioned the 2012 Presidential Election in their sermons. A convenience sampling of 1,012 sermon texts prepared and delivered by 141 Protestant Christian clergy members from August 5 through November 4, 2012, were gathered and analyzed for occurrences and type of political messages. Analysis found that political messages were more likely to be given by clergy located in Blue States and least likely to be given by clergy located in Red States. Extensive political messages were more likely delivered by clergy located in Swing States. Clergy members were …
The Religious Right In Court: The Decision Making Of Christian Evangelicals In State Supreme Courts, Donald R. Songer, Susan J. Tabrizi
The Religious Right In Court: The Decision Making Of Christian Evangelicals In State Supreme Courts, Donald R. Songer, Susan J. Tabrizi
Faculty Publications
Much has been written recently about the emergence of evangelicals and others often labeled the "new Religious Right" in American politics. However, little attention has been paid to whether officials who have been socialized in the denominations characterized as being part of this Religious Right actually behave differently in office from those brought up in other religious traditions. The present study begins such an inquiry by examining differences in the voting behavior of state supreme court justices in three issue areas. Evangelical justices were found to be significantly more conservative than mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish justices in death penalty, …