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Conservative Protestantism and Tolerance toward Homosexuals: An Examination of Potential Mechanisms *
Author(s) -
Burdette Amy M.,
Ellison Christopher G.,
Hill Terrence D.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.2005.00118.x
Subject(s) - protestantism , nexus (standard) , morality , civil liberties , sociology , politics , citizenship , democracy , social psychology , criminology , law , political science , psychology , computer science , embedded system
A number of studies over the years have reported that members of conservative Protestant churches tend to be less tolerant—that is, reluctant to extend civil liberties—vis‐à‐vis homosexuals. This paper explores several possible explanations for this pattern. In particular, we identify key aspects of conservative Protestant religious values and worldviews that may contribute to this pattern, and relevant hypotheses are tested using data from the 1988 General Social Survey. Results highlight the role of biblical literalism, as well as specific beliefs about the public nature of morality and the implications of perceived immoral conduct for collective well‐being. We discuss the implications of these findings for the understanding of contemporary conservative Protestantism, as well as for future research on the nexus of religion, politics, and democratic citizenship.