Academic Affiliation: University at Albany, SUNY
Title: Clergywomen, Women’s Ordination, and “Women’s Issues”: Women’s Representation in American Religious Congregations
Abstract:
Using data from the 2018-2019 National Congregations Study, I explore the relationship between women’s descriptive and substantive representation in American religious congregations. In particular, I examine the relationship between the presence of clergywomen or egalitarian leadership policies and a congregation’s participation in political activism related to three so-called “women’s issues”: abortion, LGBT rights, and poverty. Statistical analysis using Linear Probability Models and Logit models reveals partial support for my hypotheses. Collective gender representation, as demonstrated through the presence of egalitarian leadership policies within a congregation, is associated with activism related to pro-LGBT rights and poverty. This project serves to extend understanding of 1) how descriptive gender representation relates to the substantive representation of women’s interests in religious congregations and 2) the comparability of women’s leadership across political and religious contexts.