Why Strict Churches Are Strong

Abstract

The strength of strict churches is neither a historical coincidence nor a statistical artifact. Strictness makes organizations stronger and more attractive because it reduces free riding. It screens out members who lack commitment and stimulates participation among those who remain. Rational choice theory thus explains the success of sects, cults, and conservative denominations without recourse to assumptions of irrationality, abnormality, or misinformation. The theory also predicts differences between strict and lenient groups, distinguishes between effective and counterproductive demands, and demonstrates the need to adapt strict demands in response to social change.In 1972 Dean Kelley published a remarkable book titled Why Conservative Churches Are Growing (Kelley 1986). In it he documented a striking shift in the fortunes of America's oldest and largest Protestant denominations. After two centuries of growth that culminated in the 1950s, virtually all mainline Protestant denominations had begun losing members. The losses, however, were far from uniform. Liberal denominations were declining much more rapidly than conservative denominations, and the most conservative were growing. The varying rates of growth and decline meant that the mainline denominations' misfortune could not be attributed to pervasive secularization. A valid explanation could only be rooted in traits or circumstances that differed from one denomination to the next. Kelley proposed such an explanation. He traced the success of conservative churches to their ability to attract and retain an active and committed membership, characteristics that he in turn attributed to their ' I presented early drafts of this paper at the meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 1989, and of the Public Choice Society, Phoenix, March 1990, and at several department seminars. I thank many colleagues for their comments and suggestions, particularly

Religious extremism: The good, the bad, and the deadly

“…Kanter (1973: 157-158) documents the commitment problems that plagued most nineteenth century communes and quotes Charles Guide's observation that "these colonies are threatened as much by success as by failure ... [for] if they attain prosperity they attract a crowd of members who lack the enthusiasm and faith of the earlier ones." Sacrifice and Stigma: Costly demands offer a solution to the dilemma (Iannaccone 1992;1994). The costs are not the standard costs associated with the production or purchase of secular commodities.…”

“…Mainstream "churches" and extremist "sects" emerge from it as analytically distinct modes of religious organization rather than ad hoc descriptive categories, and the empirical correlates of sectarianism (including strict behavioral standards, dramatic conversions, high levels of religious participation, resistance to social change, lower-class and minority appeal) emerge as formal consequences of a high-cost/high-commitment strategy. (See Iannaccone 1988;1992;1994 for details.) A single theory thus suffices to explain (and predict) numerous empirical insights about religious organizations and their members.…”

Usos e limites da teoria da escolha racional da religião

“…Isto é, deve ser sectário e ter stricteness (cf. Stark, 1996;Iannaccone, 1994, Finke, 1997 6 . Stricteness refere-se ao grupo religioso que mantém "um estilo de vida distintivo e separado na moralidade pessoal e na vida 5.…”

“…Finke, 1997, pp. 52-54;Iannaccone, 1994Iannaccone, , p. 1184. Contudo, strictness em demasia prejudica.…”

“…Na medida em que normas e valores contribuem para a formação da stricteness, não podem ser descartados da análise. Iannaccone, 1994Iannaccone, , p. 1994. Submetidos a maiores exigências, os membros das seitas são, em geral, mais ativos e comprometidos.…”