Religion as Social Capital: Producing the Common Good

Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-254) and index.

While Robert Putnam'sBowling Alone(2000) highlighted the notion of volunteerism, little attention has been paid to religion's role in generating social capital - an ironic omission since religion constitutes the most common form of voluntary association in America today. Featuring essays by prominent social scientists, this is the first book-length systematic examination of the relationship between religion and social capital and what effects religious social capital has on democratic life in the United States.

Bowling alone but serving together: the congregational norm of community involvement / Ram A. Cnaan, Stephanie C. Boddie, and Gaynor I. Yancey -- Religious social capital: its nature, social location, and limits / John A. Coleman -- Faith and leadership in the inner city: how social capital contributes to democratic renewal / Mark A. Warren -- Does religion matter? projecting democratic power into the public arena / Richard L. Wood -- Religion and volunteering in America / David E. Campbell and Steven J. Yonish -- The religious basis of charitable giving in America: a social capital perspective / Roger J. Nemeth and Donald A. Luidens -- Ties that bind and flourish: religion as social capital in African-American politics and society / Fredrick Harris -- Social capital and societal vision: a study of six farm communities in Iowa / Janel Curry -- Religious involvement, social capital, and political engagement: a comparison of the United States and Canada / Corwin Smith ... et al. -- The language of God in the city of man: religious discourse and public politics in America / Rhys H. Williams -- Can religion revitalize civil society? an institutional perspective / Robert Wuthnow -- Religion, social capital, and democratic life: concluding thoughts / Corwin Smidt.