Research Portfolio
Data | Stories | Impact
The goal for my research is to tell the stories embedded within the data. Whether qualitative or quantitative, there is always a compelling narrative that can have a real-world impact.
Published Research
This is a curated group. For a complete list of my peer-reviewed published work, please see my Google Scholar page.
Whose Bodies? Bringing Gender Into Interaction Ritual Chain Theory (Sociology of Religion)
Data: 2001 US Congregational Life Survey (N Congregations = 324, N Individuals = 49,459)
Methods: Multi-level Regression
Story: Within religious congregations, women experience more positive outcomes from rituals. This could help explain why women are more religious than men in most societies.
Impact: We must think carefully about how gender norms affect group experiences.
Racial Dynamics of Congregations and Communities: A Longitudinal Analysis of United Methodist Congregations, 1990–2010 (Social Forces)
Data: United Methodist Church data combined with geolocated US Census data (63,697 data points from 21,791 congregations over 3 decades)
Methods: Longitudinal Growth Curve Modeling
Story: The racial makeup both within religious congregations and among the surrounding neighborhoods impact the organization. While minority congregations have higher attendance rates, churches in white neighborhoods do not decline as much over time.
Impact: As realtors know, it’s about “location, location, location.” In the context of a decline in religious attendance, white neighborhoods experience a smaller rate of decline.
Organizational Resources and the Gender Gap in Congregational Lay Leadership (Sociological Forum)
Data: 2001 US Congregational Life Survey (N Congregations = 344, N Individuals = 73,118)
Methods: Multi-level Binary Logistic Regression
Story: Gender is a powerful predictor of who is a leader within religious congregations. Yet, this power is not immutable. Women in resource-rich congregations (those that are well-educated, wealthy, or large) have the best chances of being a leader.
Impact: As mega-churches grow and smaller congregations close, this may have a positive impact on women’s chances of being leaders.
Being Done: Why People Leave the Church, But Not Their Faith
Data: Interviews with 100 people who were still religious but did not attend a congregation
Methods: Qualitative, thematic analysis of the interviews
Story: Many people felt “pushed” out of their religious congregations because of their bureaucratic and hierarchical structures and a narrow focus on a specific set of moral beliefs.
Impact: The decline in religious membership is not always about “losing faith.” It can also be that the organizations (congregations) are getting in the way of people connecting with their faith.
Stuck: Why Clergy Are Alienated From Their Calling, Congregation, and Career…and What to Do about It (Fortress Press)
Data: Interviews with 42 clergy who had either left the profession or were wanting to leave.
Methods: Qualitative, thematic analysis of the interviews
Story: These clergy did not want to leave the profession because they lost faith or were burnt out. Most were passionate about being religious leaders. However, they felt like they were “selling a product” and that the structure of the congregation no longer allowed them to follow this calling.
Impact: Clergy around North America have responded with “me too.” This book is addressing something they are feeling but no one is talking about.