Browsing by Author "Duffy, Barbara J."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Discursive and Practical Influence of Spirituality on Civic Engagement
    (Wiley, 2022-06) Steensland, Brian; King, David P.; Duffy, Barbara J.; Sociology, School of Liberal Arts
    Religion has long been recognized as promoting civic engagement. Recent declines in organized religion and growing interest in spirituality raise the question of whether spirituality might also promote civic engagement. Using data from a new nationally representative survey, we assess the independent and joint influence of spirituality and religion on civic life. We find that 40% of respondents perceive spirituality as influencing their civic engagement. Spirituality's influence typically appears in tandem with religion, but when spirituality and religion are distinct, the influence of spirituality is greater and more prevalent. Using two distinct measures, we assess the influence of spirituality on civic engagementat both discursive and practical levels. We find positive associations for both. Spirituality is both a conscious influence and tacit resource in civic life. We close by briefly outlining an agenda for better understanding socially engaged spirituality.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Role of Spiritual Practices in the Multidimensional Impact of Religion And Spirituality on Giving and Volunteering
    (Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2024-02) Duffy, Barbara J.; King, David P; Steensland, Brian
    Religion is one of the most widely recognized predictors of charitable giving and volunteering. Yet there is less agreement on how it matters and whether spirituality matters as well. We explore religion’s modes of influence through multidimensional measures of religion and spirituality, including affiliation, membership, and salience. We introduce an analysis of spiritual practices to studies of prosocial behavior and find that six diverse spiritual practices are independently associated with greater likelihood of giving or volunteering. In full models, composite measures of spiritual practices beyond regular religiosity measures are significantly associated with both outcomes. Taken collectively, our results demonstrate the value of recognizing the multiple pathways through which religion and spirituality matter for giving and volunteering, the relevance of diverse forms of spiritual practice, and, most broadly, the importance of further exploring the links between spirituality and prosocial behavior.