Orthodoxy, Church Participation, and Authoritarianism

Abstract

Data from a sample of 300 church members are analyzed to provide indirect evidence on the relationship between religiosity and ethnic distance, specifically on correlations between religious orthodoxy and church participation with authoritarianism viewed as an intervening variable. Other personality variables and formal education are used as controls by means of partial correlation analysis. Findings suggest (1) that authoritarian and prejudiced persons tend to retain orthodox beliefs or to become strong orthodox believers and (2) that persons who are authoritarian and orthodox, as well as persons who are not, become more tolerant through extended church participation.