Jason Kaufman Lydia Bean Harvard University
Since the 1970s, Evangelical Christians have vigorously entered the public sphere in both Canada and the United States. This dissertation compares how local Evangelical congregations in the United States and Canada construct subcultural identities to define the relationship between their moral values and their increasingly secular, diverse countries. It is proposed that, while Evangelicals in these two countries have equally conservative moral beliefs, they have very different ways of talking about the tension between these beliefs and public life. The researcher will draw on in-depth observation and interviews in four congregations in Hamilton, Ontario and Buffalo, New York, to show how Evangelical congregations in the US and Canada provide the faithful with different cultural resources to negotiate their relationship to the larger society. This research will help us better understand the multiple ways that religious communities negotiate their relationship to multicultural, democratic societies. It will also help us understand how national context affects the relationship between religious commitment and civic engagement. As both Canada and the United States struggle to accommodate ever-greater religious diversity, social-scientific research can contribute to better a understanding of the effects of religious participation on the formation of democratic citizens. Many people in government and civil society are pressed to make policy decisions that respect the autonomy of religious communities, but also build broad support for individual freedom and multicultural democracy. To improve the public's understanding of the role of religion in public life, the researcher will publish a series of concise policy briefs which outline the relevance of this research to government agencies, political parties, and civic organizations. The researcher will also broadly disseminate the results of this research as an adviser to social movement organizations that collaborate with religious communities.
