Fulton Brad R
Duke University.
J Sci Study Relig. 2011;50(3):617-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5906.2011.01579.x.
The ambivalent response of many black churches to current social issues has caused some scholars to question the centrality of black churches within African-American communities. Using a nationally representative sample of black congregations, this study engages the debate about the institutional centrality of black churches by focusing on their response to HIV/AIDS. Although many congregational studies treat black churches as a monolithic whole, this analysis identifies heterogeneity among black churches that shapes their responsiveness to social issues. Contrary to prior claims, a congregation's liberal-conservative ideological orientation does not significantly affect its likelihood of having an HIV/AIDS program. Beyond assessing churches’ internal characteristics, this study uses institutional theory to analyze churches as open systems that can be influenced by their surrounding environment. It demonstrates that externally engaged congregations are significantly more likely to have a program. These results indicate that black churches maintain institutional centrality by engaging their external environment.
许多黑人教会对当前社会问题的矛盾反应，已引发一些学者质疑黑人教会在非裔美国人社区中的核心地位。本研究采用具有全国代表性的黑人教会样本，通过关注其对艾滋病毒/艾滋病的应对方式，参与到关于黑人教会机构核心地位的辩论中。尽管许多教会研究将黑人教会视为一个整体，但本分析识别出黑人教会之间的异质性，这种异质性塑造了它们对社会问题的反应能力。与先前的说法相反，教会的自由-保守意识形态倾向并不会显著影响其开展艾滋病毒/艾滋病项目的可能性。除了评估教会的内部特征，本研究还运用制度理论将教会分析为可受其周边环境影响的开放系统。研究表明，积极参与外部事务的教会开展项目的可能性要大得多。这些结果表明，黑人教会通过与外部环境互动来维持其机构核心地位。
