Emotion, Religion, and Civic Engagement: A Multilevel Analysis of U.S. Congregations

Abstract

Past research on religion and civic engagement generally only examines one type of engagement and focuses on cognitive rather than emotional predictors. Extending Collins' interaction ritual theory, I investigate the relationship between experiencing emotional energy during religious services and participating in formal and informal congregational and noncongregational civic engagement. I hypothesize that individuals who report experiencing emotional energy during religious services will be more likely to engage in congregational volunteering. I also theorize competing hypotheses regarding the relationship between experiencing emotional energy during religious services and participating in noncongregational civic engagement. Using data from the 2001 U.S. Congregational Life Survey, I find support for some of my hypotheses. This study contributes to the literature by showing the importance of emotion for predicting both formal and informal forms of congregational and noncongregational civic engagement, thus moving beyond the literature's focus on formal civic engagement and cognitive explanations of it.