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According To Chaves Case Study

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Grace Moulsdale Susan Phillips REL_303_OL2 11/20/2015 Chaves Chapters Essay Chapter 4 Are new religions and religious practices swamping the old? According to Chaves, the general consensus in America is that religious participation and membership have decreased. As the General Social Survey and other studies show, contrary to popular belief, the rate has not decreased but it also has certainly not increased. The result, then, is that the rate has remained relatively consistent. In order to properly interpret the following data it is important to note that, in this type of study, it is difficult to obtain precise and accurate figures because it is not empirical data. The following study was conducted by the General Social Survey. The survey …show more content…

The representatives of religious establishments are leaders and just as America has drastically changed, so too has the leadership of religious establishments. One of the main issues facing religious leaders is interest in participating in this career as a lifelong occupation. The choice of that particular career path is waning among college students. In the 1960’s, about 1% of college freshman showed interest in the field, but in the 1980’s, that figure fell to just 0.3% and has remained steady at that very low figure. The beginning of the decline happened after the civil war. Shortly after the civil war, 20% of college graduates became clergy but this figure declined to 6% by 1900.This decline is not a crisis to religious institutions as long as the students who pursue that career path are of very high caliber. Unfortunately, interest declined among gifted students. GRE exam scores of perspective seminary students decreased in verbal, analytical, and quantitative reasoning. Many particularly gifted female students pursued medicine or law as an alternative …show more content…

The most notable change is that of women seeking a career in clergy. In the 1970’s, the percent of women enrolled in Master of Divinity programs was 5%; by 2001, that percentage rose to 31%. Now, 10% of all congregations are led by women. In general, those who pursue a career in clergy are not declining in average quality. This is due to the fact that not all of the qualifications of a successful religious leader are intellectually based. Interpersonal skills and religious zeal are important factors that are often more desirable traits in a religious leadership position. The final way in which the religious front has changed is public faith in religious leaders. There was far more faith in religious leaders in the past than there is today. They were trusted, respected and looked up to but now are often treated with suspicion, and thought of as simple- minded for their belief in a God. This could likely be due the advent of the internet and social media. There was a great amount of trust in religious leaders until the news about Roman Catholic priests abusing young boys and similar stories emerged. According to the General Social Survey, the mistrust is higher among those who are not regular attendees. This mistrust may stem from a fear of the unknown. It is not familiar, therefore it is something to fear. Also, popular stories of failures of well-known people in the ministry has also undermined people’s

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