Christian Religiosity and Social Trust
Open Access
- Author:
- Wiernik, Craig S
- Graduate Program:
- Sociology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- March 24, 2011
- Committee Members:
- Jeffery Todd Ulmer, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Jeffery Todd Ulmer, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Duane Francis Alwin, Committee Member
Alan M Sica, Committee Member
Roger Kent Finke, Committee Member
Constance A Flanagan, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Religion
Trust
Social Trust
Religiosity
Structural Equation Modeling - Abstract:
- Trust is fundamental for social life—it supports economic growth democratic governance and societies, is a necessity for stable social relationships and social control, promotes civic participation and is considered a fundamental part of the creation, maintenance, and use of social capital. In this dissertation, I examine the association between an individual’s religiosity and their perceptions of the trustworthiness of others, an attitude typically referred to as social trust, to address the question: “How does an individual’s religiosity influence their perceptions of the trustworthiness of others in America?” While the extant literature examining the association between religion and trust has examined how particular religious beliefs, narratives, or behaviors impact trust, I am interested in how multiple measures of religiosity combine as a latent construct, and how this religiosity impacts trust. Using The Baylor Religion Survey I inductively examine what facets of religion do combine as part of an individual’s religiosity. I do this through an examination of two general models of an individual’s commitment to a Christian moral order and how this commitment influences both interpersonal and social trust. Religion provides a foundation of beliefs and narratives for particular religious moral orders, which are the sustained through behaviors and activities, both religious and secular. One’s commitment to a religious moral order should then impact trust through both the beliefs which create that order, and the actions taken to maintain it. Ultimately, I find that one’s commitment to a Christian moral order is the result of both one’s religious beliefs and behaviors as represented as a singular characteristic of individuals – their religiosity, and it is this commitment that influences trust. When examined as separate from religious participation, religious beliefs do not seem to be associated with most types of interpersonal trust, or social trust, but religious behaviors are. I find that while one’s religious beliefs, on their own, do not influence trust, they do have an impact, which can be seen when compared to the effect of one’s religious social participation.