Advice

INSIGHT

The real reason why men don't go to church

We all know our churches seem to have more women than men in the congregation but, as JACKIE COSH explains, it’s a problem that goes back to ancient times and affects all cultures

Two-thirds of regular churchgoers are women, with more women than men claiming to be religious, and more women than men participating in church activities. This isn’t a modern day phenomenon, or a situation confined to the western world, so why is a faith in God more important to women?

Although male irreligiosity is now taken for granted, few studies have attempted to explain why this is the case. The long held belief has been that socialisation and social power hold the answer. Women are raised to be nurturing and more submissive, traditionally staying at home, allowing them more time to practise their faith. Without the social benefits of work, the socialising aspect of church activities attracted them. Religion was seen as a compensation for a woman’s lack of power in society.

It was once thought that as more women went out to work, the gender gap would be reduced. With less time to devote to church activities and a wider choice of social events, women would become more like men, spending less time and thought on religion, but this has not been the case. Even career women are more religious than their male peers.

Some studies have found that the breakdown of the traditional family unit has preceded a drop in male church attendance. For both men and women, involvement in a local congregation is often tied in with family life. While for men this involvement is more automatic (their parents were involved in the church), for women it is more of a conscious choice. They make an informed decision to bring their children up within the church and for religion to be part of their family’s lives.

But recent research carried out at the University of Washington suggests that the answer may be more deep-rooted than once thought. Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and comparative religion at the University of Washington, decided to look at the situation worldwide. While culture may be blamed for the situation in the West, what about in other countries and societies where traditional values are still part of everyday life, where men are still the breadwinners and where the majority of men are married with children?

Stark studied the results of the American General Social Studies, the National Jewish Population Survey and the World Values Survey. Data from 57 different countries was examined. Whereas we might expect that men are less religious in Western cultures, the results proved the same in all the world’s main faiths, in countries as widespread as Turkey, Brazil and India, and in male-centred religions such as Judaism. In every country and culture men were less religious than women.

Instead of asking why women are more religious than men, Stark looked at why men are less religious than women. Turning the question around gave a completely different focus on things. Instead of focusing on women, he focused on men.

Religiosity was measured by church attendance, belief in life after death, denominational loyalty, frequency of prayer, belief in God, belief in the authority of the Bible, and a self-assessed level of religiosity. For other faiths, a belief in God and the Bible were replaced.

He found that just as men are more likely to commit a crime, they are also less likely to think of the long-term consequences of their actions. Whether it is a case of going to jail or going to hell, men are the greater risk takers, preferring to live for the moment.

Stark came to the conclusion that it was not society that caused this difference, but physiology. Men are more short-sighted. They are more likely to concentrate on enjoying themselves now, rather than worrying about the future. While women think about the consequences of their actions, men live for the present, and the idea of hell does not worry them.

Roger Finke, Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies at The Pennsylvania State University and co-author with Stark of Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion explains. “The traditional explanations are that women are more religious because they are more involved in socialising children, less involved in their careers, and more likely to join social groups.

“More recent, and I think more powerful, explanations suggest that men are more likely to partake in any risky behaviour. Hence, even though secular laws issue penalties for crimes and religious doctrine assigns dire consequences for irreligion, men are more involved in crime and less involved in religion.”

Perhaps this should not come as a surprise when we look back to ancient times. In biblical times most of the early Christians were women, while in the Jewish communities women held the office of “ruler of the synagogue”, elders, and “mother of the synagogue”.

In the Roman Empire, ancient Greece, and Medieval times, female involvement in religion was higher. Recent research has shown that Egyptian, Greek, and Roman women of all periods participated extensively in the most sacrosanct aspects of worship.

There is now much evidence from the pharaohs’ times that women played an active part in the religious life of Ancient Egypt. Titles survive both on monuments of females and in private letters, which indicate religious activity.

Evidently this is not a problem of modern times or of our culture, but it is a problem that is becoming worse. The headlines “Church attendance falling” is seen too often without much explanation into why this is happening or what we could be doing to reverse this trend.

As congregation numbers fall, we need to take action to bring people back to church, and to stop the Church being seen as a woman’s hobby, with little to interest men. Knowing why fewer men than women attend church is the first step, changing this pattern is the next.

Jackie Cosh is a freelance writer based in Glasgow

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		INSIGHT The real reason why men don't go to church We all know our churches seem to have more women than men in the congregation but, as JACKIE COSH explains, it’s a problem that goes back to ancient times and affects all cultures Two-thirds of regular churchgoers are women, with more women than men claiming to be religious, and more women than men participating in church activities. This isn’t a modern day phenomenon, or a situation confined to the western world, so why is a faith in God more important to women? Although male irreligiosity is now taken for granted, few studies have attempted to explain why this is the case. The long held belief has been that socialisation and social power hold the answer. Women are raised to be nurturing and more submissive, traditionally staying at home, allowing them more time to practise their faith. Without the social benefits of work, the socialising aspect of church activities attracted them. Religion was seen as a compensation for a woman’s lack of power in society. It was once thought that as more women went out to work, the gender gap would be reduced. With less time to devote to church activities and a wider choice of social events, women would become more like men, spending less time and thought on religion, but this has not been the case. Even career women are more religious than their male peers. Some studies have found that the breakdown of the traditional family unit has preceded a drop in male church attendance. For both men and women, involvement in a local congregation is often tied in with family life. While for men this involvement is more automatic (their parents were involved in the church), for women it is more of a conscious choice. They make an informed decision to bring their children up within the church and for religion to be part of their family’s lives. But recent research carried out at the University of Washington suggests that the answer may be more deep-rooted than once thought. Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and comparative religion at the University of Washington, decided to look at the situation worldwide. While culture may be blamed for the situation in the West, what about in other countries and societies where traditional values are still part of everyday life, where men are still the breadwinners and where the majority of men are married with children? Stark studied the results of the American General Social Studies, the National Jewish Population Survey and the World Values Survey. Data from 57 different countries was examined. Whereas we might expect that men are less religious in Western cultures, the results proved the same in all the world’s main faiths, in countries as widespread as Turkey, Brazil and India, and in male-centred religions such as Judaism. In every country and culture men were less religious than women. Instead of asking why women are more religious than men, Stark looked at why men are less religious than women. Turning the question around gave a completely different focus on things. Instead of focusing on women, he focused on men. Religiosity was measured by church attendance, belief in life after death, denominational loyalty, frequency of prayer, belief in God, belief in the authority of the Bible, and a self-assessed level of religiosity. For other faiths, a belief in God and the Bible were replaced. He found that just as men are more likely to commit a crime, they are also less likely to think of the long-term consequences of their actions. Whether it is a case of going to jail or going to hell, men are the greater risk takers, preferring to live for the moment. Stark came to the conclusion that it was not society that caused this difference, but physiology. Men are more short-sighted. They are more likely to concentrate on enjoying themselves now, rather than worrying about the future. While women think about the consequences of their actions, men live for the present, and the idea of hell does not worry them. Roger Finke, Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies at The Pennsylvania State University and co-author with Stark of Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion explains. “The traditional explanations are that women are more religious because they are more involved in socialising children, less involved in their careers, and more likely to join social groups. “More recent, and I think more powerful, explanations suggest that men are more likely to partake in any risky behaviour. Hence, even though secular laws issue penalties for crimes and religious doctrine assigns dire consequences for irreligion, men are more involved in crime and less involved in religion.” Perhaps this should not come as a surprise when we look back to ancient times. In biblical times most of the early Christians were women, while in the Jewish communities women held the office of “ruler of the synagogue”, elders, and “mother of the synagogue”. In the Roman Empire, ancient Greece, and Medieval times, female involvement in religion was higher. Recent research has shown that Egyptian, Greek, and Roman women of all periods participated extensively in the most sacrosanct aspects of worship. There is now much evidence from the pharaohs’ times that women played an active part in the religious life of Ancient Egypt. Titles survive both on monuments of females and in private letters, which indicate religious activity. Evidently this is not a problem of modern times or of our culture, but it is a problem that is becoming worse. The headlines “Church attendance falling” is seen too often without much explanation into why this is happening or what we could be doing to reverse this trend. As congregation numbers fall, we need to take action to bring people back to church, and to stop the Church being seen as a woman’s hobby, with little to interest men. Knowing why fewer men than women attend church is the first step, changing this pattern is the next. Jackie Cosh is a freelance writer based in Glasgow © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.