Current Studies in the Sociology of Religion

The study of religion as an academic discipline is a rather recent development in colleges anduniversities in the United States and abroad. Although French sociologist Émile Durkheim wrote extensively about the role of religion in public life in the early 1900s, it was not until the 1960s that researchers from social science backgrounds, predominately sociology, began the formal, empirical study of religion as a social force that may impact a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. This special issue of Religions brings together scholars from around the world who use diverse methodologies to study the impact of religion on a broad range of outcomes. The issue thus provides a unique snapshot of current work being done in the sociology of religion. In these 18 articles, readers will find a great mix of data-driven studies (both quantitative and qualitative) and conceptual/review papers. The articles also reflect a diversity of authors, locations, topics, and faith traditions. I am pleased that many of the papers include undergraduate and graduate students as co-authors. These collaborations are important for maintaining the continuity of high-quality research over time

Editor’s Introduction: Religion and Crime: Theory, Research, and Practice

The scientific study of religion is a relatively recent development in colleges and universitiesaround the world[...

Religion and Crime: Theory, Research, and Practice

This volume contains contemporary and cutting-edge research on religion and crime, which includes data-driven (quantitative and qualitative), conceptual, review, and policy-oriented papers

Who is in Control? How Women in a Halfway House Use Faith to Recover from Drug Addiction

Religious adherents from most major faith traditions struggle in balancing their individual agency with divine leadership. While this issue of individual versus divine control is complex for those in free society, it becomes even more so when applied to those in correctional and treatment settings. For those attempting to recover from drug addiction, a common conclusion is that drugs have taken control of their lives, thus it is necessary for them to reclaim control. Via a narrative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 30 former drug addicts residing in a faith-based halfway house for women, we explore how the women make sense of losing control of their lives due to their drug use, but then being taught to regain control by surrendering to a higher power. We find strong evidence of Deferring and Collaborative religious coping styles and these coping styles structure how the women discuss the future and their strategies for success

Child Sexual Abuse in Protestant Christian Congregations: A Descriptive Analysis of Offense and Offender Characteristics

Utilizing data from 326 cases of alleged child sexual abuse that occurred at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian congregations, this study examines demographic and contextual characteristics of alleged child sexual abuse that took place within the most prevalent religious environment in the United States. Research questions are addressed in this study. First, what type of child sexual abuse most commonly occurs at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian congregations? Second, where do such offenses physically take place? Third, who are the offenders and what role(s) do they assume in the congregations? We find that the overwhelming majority of offenses were contact offenses that occurred on church premises or at the offender’s home, and that most offenders were white male pastors or youth ministers who were approximately 40 years in age. We conclude with policy implications and recommendations for future research

Religious Liberty in Prisons under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act following Holt v Hobbs: An Empirical Analysis

Religion in the United States remains a consistent source of conflict not only because of the breadth and depth of personal religious commitment, but also because of guarantees from the United States Constitution. The First Amendment protects religious Free Exercise but also constrains federal, state, and local governments from establishing official government religions, endorsing religions or religion itself. Despite the risk of potential conflicts with the constitution’s text, Congress has supported laws that expand religious liberty. One such example is the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (2000), which significantly enhanced prisoners’ right to religious exercise above the minimum provided by the First Amendment. In the 2015 case of Holt v. Hobbs, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Muslim prisoner who had been denied his request for religious accommodations under RLUIPA because the prison failed to satisfy the act’s strict scrutiny standard before it denied accommodations to a prisoner to practice his faith. Via an analysis of case law since Holt v. Hobbs was decided in January 2015 until March 2018, we investigate the extent to which Holt has affected judicial voting in RLUIPA cases and how such voting may have been influenced by judges’ ideological dispositions