Clergy, Parishioners, and Politics: A survey of ELCA and Episcopal Church Ministers and Parishioners

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This project investigates political beliefs and activities within two major American Protestant denominations - the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Episcopal Church. Within each denomination, 3,000 ministers and members of fifty selected congregations receive surveys asking for their political views, the extent of their political activism, and the degree to which their religious beliefs and church activities affect these political views and actions. The results from this research help to address several significant questions about how religion and politics intersect in a nation dedicated to the separation of church and state. Throughout American history, groups and individuals have engaged in political activities, believing their faith has called them to do so. Much has been written about the large-scale movements originating from religious communities, such as the pre-Civil War crusade against slavery, the drive for Prohibition in the early 20th century, and the campaign for civil rights led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and other religious leaders. Far less is known about the connections that ordinary citizens make between faith and politics as part of their daily lives. Over 90 percent of Americans believe in God and three-fourths belong to a church. This extraordinary level of religious activity - unmatched in any other democratic nation - clearly affects numerous aspects of the lives of church members. Through this project the researchers assess what political issues are addressed in churches, how much political knowledge and guidance members receive from their ministers, and how this knowledge and guidance influence members' political activities. While other researchers have explored these questions in other large U.S. denominations, to date no one has investigated ELCA Lutherans and Episcopalians; hence this study fills a sizable gap in our knowledge about religion and politics. The larger goal of this research project is to understand better how Americans become informed, active citizens. Recent studies have suggested that contemporary Americans are less likely to join civic groups or to participate in politics than was the case thirty or forty years ago. Churches are a major exception to this rule, going against the trend of declining membership and civic participation. If an informed and active citizenry is necessary to sustain this nation's democratic institutions, it is essential to understand how and why some institutions, such as churches, have retained the loyalty of their members and have continued to play integral roles in building strong local communities across the United States.