Political Science Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-17-2017
Volume
99
Issue
2
Journal
Social Science Quarterly
First Page
665
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12455
Last Page
682
Abstract
Objective
In order to understand the role of clergy in shaping Americans’ moral worldviews, we examine whether the structure of clergy values varies in systematic ways according to contextual factors, such as disagreement in the congregation.
Method
In early 2014 (February), clergy from a variety of Protestant denominations were contacted by email and invited to complete a survey online, which included a 20-item moral foundations (MFs) battery as well as a variety of attitudinal, behavioral, and relational measures.
Results
Clergy MFs resemble average citizens’, they look to preserve their autonomy by emphasizing individualizing foundations when they are in disagreement with their congregation, and emphasize MFs that align with their religious beliefs, especially their views on religious authority.
Conclusion
We reject a special religious emphasis on binding foundations. While clergy take moral positions that reflect their theological commitments, we find evidence of contextualizing in how they weight moral positions.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Citation of this paper:
Djupe, Paul A., and Amanda Friesen. 2018. “Moralizing to the Choir: The Moral Foundations of American Clergy.” Social Science Quarterly 99 (2): 665-682.
