Here are various essays and reviews regarding Christianity. Though informed by a sociological perspective (it's gotten hard for me to think any other way), this probably isn't material that would ever find its way into sociology journals. So, I put it here.

 

Review of UnChristian, by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. One of the provocative books in Christianity in 2008 has been UnChristian in which the authors claim that Christians have a serious image problem. Here is a series of essays in which I review evidence which suggests this might not be the case.

 

Are there different "types" of Christians? A common analytic approach is to identify different types of Christians. Does this make sense? In these essays, I examine current examples that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of this approach.

 

Review of Reveal: Where are you? by Greg Hawkins and Cally Parkinson. Willow Creek Church has launched a series of research studies on what makes churches grow. Here is an extended review of their work.

 

Do Christians live longer? Turns out that religion has a discernable effect on longevity, with active Christians living longer than those not affiliated with a religion.

 

The social construction of Christians' hypocrisy. The media routinely portrays Christians, especially their leaders, as hypocrites. Here's a story that underscores and analyzes the media's eagerness to do so.

 

Sex and the Christian. In this series, I review data from various sources about the sexual behavior and beliefs of American Christians.

 

Negative stereotypes of Christians. LIke any group in society, Christians have negative attitudes held against them. These essays explore them.

 

A parable about Christianity and academic research. Some might think that the study of sociology and Christianity are incompatible. This simple parable illustrates the limitations of academic research in dealing with matters of religion.

 

Divorce rates among Christians. An enduring myth in Christian circles is that Christians have divorce rates as high or higher than those not affiliated with a religion. This series debunks this myth by reviewing a variety of data sets to portray the association between religion and divorce rates.

 

Emotional management during church services. Here I discuss various rules about which emotions should (and should not) be displayed during church--emotion rules which have implications for how we do church.

 

Why pastors should plagiarize. There seems to be a norm among pastors that they should not use other people's material, even with appropriate citation, in their sermons. This essay argues against this norm.

 

Why do pastors give sermons? Sometimes interesting answers can come from rather simple questions. This essay explores if, and why, pastors should give sermons.

 

What should we do about Mark Driscoll? One of the most colorful characters on the Evangelical Christian scene is Mark Driscoll, of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. This essay examines the controversy he has stirred and suggests an appropriate reaction to it.

 

Why do some pastors *not* fall into scandal? The big news story in 2006 for American Christianity was Ted Haggard's scandal. In response to it, I reframe the question of pastors and scandals to ask why do some pastors *not* fall into it.

 

The culture of fear in Christianity. Sociologists have studied the role of fear-based messages in popular society. Here I take that analysis to Christianity, looking at the role, and problems, of fear in the church.

 

Blink and the need for Christian evaluation. This essay reviews Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink" and uses it to make the case for more empirical evaluation in Christian churches.