Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-sh8wx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T16:55:46.177Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prophets in the Wilderness: An Ecology of Ministerial Organization Participation in Public Affairs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2009

Paul A. Djupe  and
Franklyn C. Niles
Paul A. Djupe*
Affiliation:
Denison University
Franklyn C. Niles*
Affiliation:
John Brown University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Paul A. Djupe, Department of Political Science, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023. E-mail: djupe@denison.edu
Franklyn C. Niles, Department of Political Science, John Brown University, Siloam Spring, AR 72761. E-mail: fniles@jbu.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Studies of interest groups typically sample from organizations or lobbyists registered with a government – those already engaged in political action. Because of this design choice, the questions asked of organizational systems are constrained. We take a different tack, pursuing investigation of one organizational form, ministerial organizations (MOs), in a wide variety of systems to ask about whether and how they engage in public affairs across ecologies. Specifically, we ask: What pressures affect whether MOs engage a public versus private purpose? How do MOs forage in public affairs, with what size and diversity of coalition? The data result from a hyper-network survey of MO contacts, identified by a national sample of United Methodist Church clergy. We find, contrary to assertions in previous work that religious interest groups respond to ecological pressures in a similar manner as other interest groups.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , April 2010 , pp. 150 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ammerman, Nancy Tatom. 2005. Pillars of Faith: American Congregations and their Partners. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andrews, Kenneth T., and Edwards, Bob. 2004. “Advocacy Organizations in the U.S. Political Process.” Annual Review of Sociology 30:479–506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bales, Robert F. 1950. Interaction Process Analysis: A Method for the Study of Small Groups. Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley.Google Scholar
Bellah, Robert N. 1978. “Religion and the Legitimation of the American Republic.” Society 15:16–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Browne, William P. 1990. “Organized Interests and Their Issue Niches: The Search for Pluralism in a Policy Domain.” Journal of Politics 52:477–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Browning, Rufus P., Marshall, Dale R., and Tabb, David H., eds. 2003. Racial Politics in American Cities. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Longman.Google Scholar
Campbell, Ernest Q., and Pettigrew, Thomas F.. 1959. Christian in Racial Crisis: A Study of the Littlerock's Ministry. Washington, DC: Public Affairs Press.Google Scholar
Chaves, Mark, Konieczny, Mary Ellen, Beyerlein, Kraig, and Barman, Emily. 1999. “The National Congregations Study: Background, Methods, and Selected Results.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 38:458–476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, Christopher A., Nownes, Anthony J., and Roberts, Steven. 2005. “Perceptions of Power: Interest Groups in Local Politics.” State and Local Government Review 37:206–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dilger, Robert J. 1992. Neighborhood Politics: Residential Community Association in American Governance. New York, NY: New York University Press.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Gilbert, Christopher P.. 2003. The Prophetic Pulpit: Clergy, Churches, and Communities in American Politics. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., and Olson, Laura. 2007. Religious Interests in Community Conflict: Beyond the Culture Wars. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.Google Scholar
Earle, John R., Knudsen, Dean D., and Shriver, Donald W. Jr. 1976. Spindles and Spires: A Re-Study of Religion and Social Change in Gastonia. Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press.Google Scholar
Elkins, David R. 1995. “The Structure and Context of the Urban Growth Coalition: The View from the Camber of Commerce.” Policy Studies Journal 23:583–600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elton, C. 1927. Animal Ecology. London, UK: Sidgwick and Jackson.Google Scholar
Ferman, Barbara. 1996. Challenging the Growth Machine: Neighborhood Politics in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press.Google Scholar
Fine, Gary Alan, and Harrington, Brooke. 2004. “Tiny Publics: Small Groups and Civil Society.” Sociological Theory 22:341–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fleischmann, Arnold. 1997. “Participation in Local Politics.” In Handbook of Research on Urban Politics and Policy in the United States, ed. Vogel, Ronald K.Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D.E. 1990. “Components of Resource Competition in Plant Communities.” In Perspectives on Plant Competition, ed. Grace, J.B., and Tilman, D.. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Gray, Virginia, and Lowery, David. 1996a. “A Niche Theory of Interest Representation.” The Journal of Politics 58:91–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, Virginia, and Lowery, David. 1996b. The Population Ecology of Interest Representation: Lobbying Communities in the American States. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, Virginia, and Lowery, David. 1998. “To Lobby Alone or In a Flock: Foraging Behavior Among Organized Interests.” American Politics Quarterly 26:5–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griesemer, J.R. 1992. “Niche: Historical Perspectives.” In Keywords in Evolutionary Biology, ed. Fox-Keller, E., and Lloyd, E.A.. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Grinnell, J. 1917. “Field Tests and Theories Concerning Distributional Control.” American Naturalist 51:115–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gutterman, David S. 2005. Prophetic Politics: Christian Social Movements and American Democracy. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Hannan, Michael T., and Carroll, Glenn R.. 1992. Dynamics of Organizational Populations. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hannan, Michael T., and Freeman, John. 1989. Organizational Ecology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heinz, John P., Laumann, Edward O., Nelson, Robert L., and Salisbury, Robert H.. 1993. The Hollow Core. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Hertzke, Allen D. 1988. Representing God in Washington: The Role of Religious Lobbies in the American Polity. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press.Google Scholar
Hofrenning, Daniel J.B. 1995. In Washington but Not of It: The Prophetic Politics of Religious Lobbyists. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.Google Scholar
Hojnacki, Marie. 1997. “Interest Groups' Decisions to Join Alliances or Work Alone.” American Journal of Political Science 4:61–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hula, Kevin W. 1995. “Rounding Up the Usual Suspects: Forging Interest Group Coalitions in Washington.” In Interest Group Politics, ed. Cigler, A.J., and Loomis, Burdett A.. Washington, DC: CQ Press.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, G. Evelyn. 1957. “Concluding Remarks.” Population Studies: Animal Ecology and Demography. Cold Springs Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology 22:415–27.Google Scholar
Jones, Dale E., Doty, Sherry, Grammich, Clifford, Horsch, James E., Houseal, Richard, Lynn, Mac, Marcum, John P., Sanchagrin, Kenneth M., and Taylor, Richard H.. 2002. Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.Google Scholar
Kelley, Dean M. 1991. “The Rationale for the Involvement of Religion in the Body Politic.” In The Role of Religion in the Making of Public Policy, ed. Woods, James E. Jr., and Davis, Derek. Waco, TX: J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies.Google Scholar
Leech, Beth L., Baumgartner, Frank R., La Pira, Timothy M., and Semanko, Nicholas A.. 2005. “Drawing Lobbyists to Washington: Government Activity and the Demand for Advocacy.” Political Research Quarterly 58:19–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leibold, Mathew A. 1995. “The Niche Concept Revisited: Mechanistic Models and Community Context.” Ecology 76:1371–1382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Linden, Eileen W. 2003. Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, 2003. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.Google Scholar
Logan, John R., and Moltoch, Harvey L.. 1987. Urban Fortunes: The Political Economy of Place. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
McPherson, J. Miller. 1982. “Hypernetwork Sampling: Duality and Differentiation among Voluntary Associations.” Social Networks 3:225–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McRoberts, Omar M. 2003. Streets of Glory: Church and Community in a Black Urban Neighborhood. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Meyer, John W., and Scott, W. Richard. 1983. Organizational Environments: Ritual and Rationality. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Morris, Aldon. 1984. The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement: Black Communities Organizing for Change. New York, NY: Free Press.Google Scholar
Niebuhr, H. Richard. 1951. Christ and Culture. New York, NY: Harper.Google Scholar
Niles, Franklyn C. 2007. “Unity in the Face of the Faceless: Clergy Opposition to the Ku Klux Klan in Northwest Arkansas.” In Religious Interests in Community Conflict, ed. Djupe, Paul A., and Olson, Laura R.. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.Google Scholar
Niles, Franklyn C., and Djupe, Paul A.. 2005. “The Public Presence of Ministerial Organizations: A View from the Newsroom.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the MPSA, Chicago.Google Scholar
Niles, Franklyn C., and Djupe, Paul A.. 2006. “The Public Presence of Ministerial Organizations in American Politics.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the WPSA, Albuquerque.Google Scholar
Nownes, Anthony J. 1999. “Solicited Advice and Lobbyist Power: Evidence from Three American States.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 24:113–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nownes, Anthony J., and Freeman, Patricia. 1998. “Interest Group Activity in the States.” The Journal of Politics 60:86–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, Mancur Jr. 1965. The Logic of Collective Action. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owens, Michael Leo. 2007. God and Government in the Ghetto: The Politics of Church-State Collaboration in Black America. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parsons, Talcott. 1937. The Structure of Social Action. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Peterson, Paul. 1981. City Limits. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Real, Leslie A., and Brown, James H., eds. 1991. Foundations of Ecology: Classic Papers with Commentaries. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Regalado, James A. 1991. “Organized Labor and Los Angeles City Politics: An Assessment in the Bradley Years, 1973–1989. Urban Affairs Quarterly 27:87–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothenberg, Lawrence. 1988. “Organizational Maintenance and the Retention Decision in Groups.” American Political Science Review 82:1129–1152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sabatier, Paul A., and McLaughlin, Susan M.. 1990, “Belief Congruence between Interest-Group Leaders and Members.” Journal of Politics 52:914–935.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salisbury, Robert H. 1969. “An Exchange Theory of Interest Groups.” Midwest Journal of Political Science 13:1–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salisbury, Robert H., Heinz, John P., Laumann, Edward O., and Nelson, Robert L.. 1987. “Who Works with Whom? Interest Group Alliances and Opposition.” American Political Science Review 81:1217–1235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schattschneider, E. E. 1960. The Semi-Sovereign People. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.Google Scholar
Schoener, T. W. 1989. “The Ecological Niche.” In Ecological Concepts: The Contribution of Ecology to an Understanding of the Natural World, ed. Cherrett, J.M.Oxford, UK: Blackwell Scientific.Google Scholar
Smith, David Horton. 1997. “The Rest of the Nonprofit Sector: Grassroots Associations as the Dark Matter Ignored in Prevailing ‘Flat Earth’ Maps of the Sector.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 26:114–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, Clarence N. 1989. Regime Politics: Governing Atlanta. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.Google Scholar
Truman, David B. 1951. The Governmental Process. New York, NY: Knopf.Google Scholar
Vandermeer, John H. 1972. “Niche Theory.” Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 3:107–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verba, Sidney. 1961. Small Groups and Political Behavior: A Study of Leadership. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Whittaker, R. H., Levin, S. A., and Root, R. B.. 1973. “Niche, Habitat and Ecotope”. American Naturalist 107:321–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, James E. Jr. 1999. “Public religion vis à vis the prophetic role of religion.” Journal of Church and State 41:51–75.Google Scholar