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Congregation Among the Least Religious: the Process and Meaning of Organizing Around Nonbelief

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Congregation Among the Least Religious: the Process and Meaning of Organizing Around Nonbelief Congregation Among the Least Religious: The Process and Meaning of Organizing Around Nonbelief Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Schutz, Amanda Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 02/10/2021 23:08:40 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/634421 CONGREGATION AMONG THE LEAST RELIGIOUS: THE PROCESS AND MEANING OF ORGANIZING AROUND NONBELIEF by Amanda Schutz __________________________ Copyright © Amanda Schutz 2019 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF SOCIOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Joe Galaskiewicz, Jeff Sallaz, Louise Roth, Penny Edgell, and— especially—Jane Zavisca for all of their patience, insight, guidance, and encouragement. This wasn’t an easy journey, but I never felt like I was taking it alone. Thank you to the many people I’ve met during my time at the University of Arizona who could always be relied on for collegiate support, delicious meals, and invaluable friendship. Thank you to all the heathens in Tucson and Houston who opened their communities, their hearts, and sometimes their homes for the benefit of this project. Thank you to my parents for literally everything (Mom, what would I do without you?), and to John and Doreen, who prove that not all family is blood. And thank you Chad for all of your love, support, and sympathy when I needed it most, which I hope I can return in full during your own times of need. 3 DEDICATION For my Dad, my favorite skeptic. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................8 LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................9 ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................10 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................12 Statement of the Problem: The Paradox of Organized Nonreligion ......................12 Background: Nonbelief in the United States .........................................................15 Recent Trends in Affiliation and Belief .....................................................16 Atheists Versus Nonbelievers ....................................................................17 A Brief History of Nonreligion Research ..................................................19 Methods and Data ..................................................................................................21 The Site ......................................................................................................24 The Organizations ......................................................................................28 The Respondents ........................................................................................32 Chapter Outlines ....................................................................................................35 CHAPTER 2: STIGMA MANAGEMENT IN NONRELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS ..........................................................................................................39 Atheist Stigma and Its Consequences ....................................................................40 Negative Attitudes and Stereotypes of Atheists .........................................40 Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and Well-Being ..........................43 Applying Goffman’s Framework to Atheist Stigma ..............................................45 Socialization into a Stigmatized Identity ...................................................46 Sympathetic Others ....................................................................................46 Methods and Data ..................................................................................................49 Results ....................................................................................................................50 Perceptions of Stigma and Its Consequences .............................................50 Stigma Management ..................................................................................56 Passing ...........................................................................................56 Disclosure ......................................................................................58 Organizing ......................................................................................61 Conclusion .............................................................................................................65 CHAPTER 3: ORGANIZATIONAL VARIATION IN A LOCAL NONRELIGIOUS COMMUNITY ..................................................................................................................68 Nonreligious Organizational Identity ....................................................................70 Data and Methods ..................................................................................................73 A Typology of Nonreligious Events ......................................................................75 Social ..........................................................................................................76 Educational ................................................................................................77 Political ......................................................................................................79 Charitable ...................................................................................................80 5 Spiritual ......................................................................................................82 Discussion: Inferring Organizational Identity from Events ...................................84 Conclusion .............................................................................................................91 CHAPTER 4: “WE ARE NOT AN ATHEIST CHURCH!” HOW NONBELIEVERS CONSTRUE COMMUNITY ............................................................................................95 Background: What Are Congregations, and Why Model One? ............................96 Methods and Data ................................................................................................100 Profile of an Atheist Church ................................................................................101 Is an Atheist Church “Atheist”? ...............................................................104 Is an Atheist Church a “Church”? ............................................................106 Components of a Godless Congregation ..............................................................107 Structure ...................................................................................................108 Activities ..................................................................................................109 Members ..................................................................................................112 Nonbelievers’ Reactions to a Godless Congregation ...........................................114 Discussion and Conclusion ..................................................................................120 CHAPTER 5: MOTIVATION, PARTICIPATION, AND DISENGAGEMENT: PATHWAYS THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL INVOLVEMENT ............................124 Theories of Participation ......................................................................................125 Methods and Data ................................................................................................129 Motivations for Involvement and Disengagement ...............................................131 Why They Participate: Organizers, Members, and Attenders .................131 Why They Don’t Participate: Virtual Joiners and Non-Joiners ...............134 Why They Leave: Quitters and Rebounders ............................................136 Past and Current Affiliation and Involvement .....................................................139 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................144 CHAPTER 6: THEISTS AS “OTHER”? MORAL BOUNDARIES BASED ON SECULAR VALUES ......................................................................................................146 Atheists as “Other” ..............................................................................................147 Theists, Atheists, and Moral Boundaries .............................................................149 Methods and Data ................................................................................................153 Results: Boundaries Based on Secular Values .....................................................154 1) Equality and Diversity .........................................................................155 2) Scientific Authority .............................................................................160 3) Individual Autonomy ...........................................................................165 4) Separation of
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