The gender ratio in the pews: consequences for congregational vitality

Keep me praising ’til the break of day: an examination of the worship experiences of churchgoers in England

“…An awareness of God's presence shows a strong positive relationship with age, while boredom has an inverse relationship with age. The outcomes for age and sex are consistent with those found in the USA, mentioned above (Woolever et al, 2006). Education seems important.…”

“…Some analysis of the data has taken place, demonstrating that (for example) while there is little variation in the experience of 'awe and mystery' associated with age, people aged 15 to 26 (identified as Generation Y) are much less likely to report positive experiences, and much more likely than all other groups to report 'boredom' (Bruce, 2003). Similarly, from current research, we know that in the USA women tend to report positive worship experiences more frequently than men, and to report negative experiences less frequently than men (Woolever et al, 2006). However, a focus on worship as such is still awaited from the USA.…”

Gender and American Jews: Patterns in Work, Education, and Family in Contemporary Life

“…The biggest differences between men and women's Jewish identity are with respect to the factor Belief, a private religious expression of Jewish identity. This factor reflects spirituality, and the results are consistent with the aforementioned research by Rayburn (2004) and Woolever et al (2006). Jewish women's expressions of spirituality are more highly differentiated from those of men than are their more behavioral expressions of private religiosity measured in the factor Ritual, perhaps because women traditionally have been excused from some of the behavioral obligations expressing religiosity.…”

“…Woolever, Bruce, Keith, and Smith-Williams (2006), analyzing data from 18 countries, found that women reported greater feelings of spiritual connection and faith than men, even when education was controlled for. Lefkovitz and Shapiro (2005) suggest that books and educational material that can be obtained on the Internet has increased their availability to groups previously denied access to them, reinforcing women's involvement in religion.…”

Jewish Identity and the Secular Achievements of American Jewish Men and Women

“…Recognizing the importance of gender, we examine the effects of Jewish identity on secular achievement for men and women separately. The processes of labor force participation and occupational achievement differ significantly by gender and women tend to be more religiously and ethnically identified (Hartman and Hartman 2009a; see also Collett and Lizardo 2009; Hertel 1995; Mueller and Johnson 1975; Rayburn 2004; Stark 2002; Walter and Davie 1998; Weber [1922] 1963; Woolever et al 2006). The stronger religious identity of women compared to men might account for the greater impact of religiosity on women's behavior, including primarily secular behavior such as labor force participation and occupational achievements.…”