Ranking Faiths: Religious Stratification in America discusses how religion shapes access to power, privilege, and prestige in the U.S., both historically and today. James D. Davidson and Ralph E. Pyle dispel the idea that the U.S. was founded on the principle of religious equality for all, documenting how religion has been a factor in the allocation of power from the colonial period through the present. From the time of the earliest settlements in America through today, the book demonstrates that some religious groups have had more access to economic, political, and social rewards than others, and they have benefited from laws and customs that have maintained religious inequality over time. While a few religious groups, such as Catholics and Jews, have experienced significant upward mobility over time, the social status of most has remained remarkably static over time. The book shows how religious inequalities developed, highlight where they remain in society today, and discuss what Americans can and should do about it.
James D. Davidson is emeritus professor of sociology at Purdue University. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including American Catholics Today. Ralph E. Pyle teaches in the sociology department at Michigan State University.
Table of Contents
Preface Chapter 1: Ranking Faiths Chapter 2: Our Approach Chapter 3: Origins Chapter 4: Persistence and Change: 1787-1899 Chapter 5: Persistence and Change: 1900-2010 Chapter 6: Consequences Chapter 7: Summary and Implications Appendix Notes References Index About the Authors
What People are Saying About This
Michele Dillon
s Davidson and Pyle draw on their deep knowledge of both religion and social inequality to provide a comprehensive, insightful, and clearly written analysis of how and why religious affiliation and its inter-generational hold matter in shaping the contours of inequality in American society.
Lisa Keister
s Davidson and Pyle provide an interesting and comprehensive historical description of stratification by religion in the U.S. Their knowledge of U.S. history combined with their understanding of religious belief make for a fabulous read. Scholars of religion and inequality will not want to miss this impressive book.
D. Paul Johnson
In this important and well-written book, Davidson and Pyle document long-lasting patterns of religious competition and conflict in American society to explain both persistence and change in religious stratification from colonial times to the present. Despite the noteworthy effects of immigration and increased religious pluralism, their dominant theme is how society's elites have incorporated religious distinctions in their strategies to shape laws, ideologies, and customs that help preserve their economic privileges, political power, and cultural prestige. The authors also argue, ironically, that the destabilizing effects of overt religious conflict may increase as non-elite groups eventually improve their position, thereby decreasing levels of religious inequality and the strength of traditional patterns of religious stratification. This book should be of interest to scholars, students, religious professionals, and anyone else interested in how the religious aspects of conflicts between elites and non-elites are reflected in the differential ranking of religious groups in American society.
