The New York Times has a piece, Bad Times Draw Bigger Crowds to Churches:
But why the evangelical churches seem to thrive especially in hard times is a Rorschach test of perspective.
For some evangelicals, the answer is obvious. “We have the greatest product on earth,” said the Rev. Steve Tomlinson, senior pastor of the Shelter Rock Church.
Dr. Beckworth, a macroeconomist, posited another theory: though expanding demographically since becoming the nation’s largest religious group in the 1990s, evangelicals as a whole still tend to be less affluent than members of mainline churches, and therefore depend on their church communities more during tough times, for material as well as spiritual support. In good times, he said, they are more likely to work on Sundays, which may explain a slower rate of growth among evangelical churches in nonrecession years.
The functionalist rationale is rather plausible. Religion is one of the primary institutionalized avenues for communal activity and support, and during times of stress and threat it seems likely that individualism seems less appealing. But there are psychological reasons why this might be occurring, Belief in Supernatural Agents in the Face of Death:
Four studies examined whether awareness of mortality intensifies belief in supernatural agents among North Americans. In Studies 1 and 2, mortality salience led to more religiosity, stronger belief in God, and in divine intervention. In Studies 3 and 4, mortality salience increased supernatural agent beliefs even when supernatural agency was presented in a culturally alien context (divine Buddha in Study 3, Shamanic spirits in Study 4). The latter effects occurred primarily among the religiously affiliated, who were predominantly Christian. Implications for the role of supernatural agent beliefs in assuaging mortality concerns are discussed.
Having your career go down the tubes, and possibly facing the loss of the all the material accoutrements of the “Good Life,” is not equivalent to death. But, I think there is an analogous elevation in the level of stress and tension when faced with these possibilities. The above research made people more aware of death, and this resulted in greater belief in supernatural agents. The current economic downturn is not a “prime” or “potentiality,” it’s real. I think it is not an unreasonable extrapolation to assume that the current troubles are likely heightening the need for many of supernatural agents to act as mediators in a capricious world.
Benjamin Friedman’s The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth is a broad historical survey which shows the effect of wealth on the general attitude of the polity. Times of economic distress tend to lead toward retrenchment and traditionalism, as individuals hunker down into communities where they feel safe in the swelling uncertainty. One of the ironies of American conservatism is that savage and unchecked capitalism is almost certainly one of the most powerful forces in producing openness to cultural experimentation and social liberalism.
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