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Belonging and Believing among Dutch Forty-Year-Olds: A Panel Study

Belonging and Believing among Dutch Forty-Year-Olds: A Panel Study © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011 DOI: 10.1163/157092511X571178 Journal of Empirical Theology 24 (2011) 57-79 brill.nl/jet Journal of Empirical Theology Belonging and Believing among Dutch Forty-Year-Olds: A Panel Study Paul Vermeer & Jacques Janssen Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands Corresponding author: p.vermeer@rs.ru.nl Received 19 November 2010; accepted 1 March 2011 Abstract This paper reports on a study of the relation between church membership and religious belief among a sample of Dutch forty-year-olds. First it describes developments in church membership between 1983 and 2007, using a longitudinal data set. This results in the identification of five groups: stable non-members, stable nominal members, stable core members, converts and apos- tates. Next the religious beliefs of these membership groups are studied from the perspective of two theoretical positions. From the perspective of secularization the assumption is tested that core members and converts will primarily endorse traditional, orthodox religious beliefs. From the perspective of religious individualization two alternative assumptions emerge. First, moder- ate levels of traditional religiosity will persist among nominal members and apostates and, sec- ondly, nominal members and apostates will prefer alternative religious beliefs. The study supports the assumption relating to secularization, but is less clear about the assumptions relating http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Empirical Theology Brill

Belonging and Believing among Dutch Forty-Year-Olds: A Panel Study

Vermeer, Paul; Janssen, Jacques
Journal of Empirical Theology , Volume 24 (1): 57 – Jan 1, 2011
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 2011 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0922-2936
eISSN
1570-9256
DOI
10.1163/157092511X571178
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011 DOI: 10.1163/157092511X571178 Journal of Empirical Theology 24 (2011) 57-79 brill.nl/jet Journal of Empirical Theology Belonging and Believing among Dutch Forty-Year-Olds: A Panel Study Paul Vermeer & Jacques Janssen Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands Corresponding author: p.vermeer@rs.ru.nl Received 19 November 2010; accepted 1 March 2011 Abstract This paper reports on a study of the relation between church membership and religious belief among a sample of Dutch forty-year-olds. First it describes developments in church membership between 1983 and 2007, using a longitudinal data set. This results in the identification of five groups: stable non-members, stable nominal members, stable core members, converts and apos- tates. Next the religious beliefs of these membership groups are studied from the perspective of two theoretical positions. From the perspective of secularization the assumption is tested that core members and converts will primarily endorse traditional, orthodox religious beliefs. From the perspective of religious individualization two alternative assumptions emerge. First, moder- ate levels of traditional religiosity will persist among nominal members and apostates and, sec- ondly, nominal members and apostates will prefer alternative religious beliefs. The study supports the assumption relating to secularization, but is less clear about the assumptions relating

Journal

Journal of Empirical Theology – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 2011

Keywords: individual belief; secularization; church membership; religious individualization

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