Religiousness and volunteering: Searching for connections in late modernity

Abstract

Several studies have verified connections between religiousness and volunteering, especially when religiousness is measured against traditional religious activities such as attending mass. The number of people taking part in traditional religious activities is decreasing and beliefs and ways of being religious are becoming increasingly diverse. As religiousness changes, the connections between religiousness and volunteering can be assumed to change as well. This paper scrutinizes the associations between different styles of religiousness and volunteering in individuals' lives. The analysis is based on 24 interviews of Finnish volunteers aged from 21 to 36. The results show that religion can be associated with volunteering by individuals on two levels: as an integral part right at the heart of volunteering, and also in the background associated with the values and worldviews of the individual volunteer. These results are discussed in relation to the theoretical perspective of dimensions of religious identification.