Do church-based social relationships influence social relationships in the secular world?

Abstract

This study has three specific aims. The first is to see if social relationships in the church influence social relationships in the secular world. Data from a longitudinal nationwide survey provide support for this view. The second goal is to see if church-based social relationships are more likely to arise from church teachings at worship services or through informal reinforcement by fellow church members (as assessed by spiritual support). The findings suggest that informal spiritual support is more likely than attendance at worship services to bolster social relationships in the church. The third goal is to explore the influence of race. The results reveal that African Americans and Caucasian Americans get the same amount of support from secular social network members. However, the data further reveal that secular social ties among African Americans can be attributed to the social relationships they maintain in the church, but the same is not true for Caucasian Americans.

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