When Proselytizing Fails: An Organizational Analysis

The authors assert that an adequate understanding of religious proselytizing requires an understanding not only of the converts but also of organizational attempts to recruit them. Maintaining that the proselytizing of outsiders requires contact, bridging, and assimilation mechanisms, they examine t...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Authors: Bibby, Reginald W. (Author) ; Brinkerhoff, Merlin B. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: 1974
In: Sociological analysis
Year: 1974, Volume: 35, Issue: 3, Pages: 189-200
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The authors assert that an adequate understanding of religious proselytizing requires an understanding not only of the converts but also of organizational attempts to recruit them. Maintaining that the proselytizing of outsiders requires contact, bridging, and assimilation mechanisms, they examine the evangelistic efforts and results of 20 proselyte-minded Canadian churches over a five-year period. They find little evidence in evangelistic programs for the existence of such mechanisms for reaching outsiders. Moreover, new convert members are found to be primarily family members, friends, and people from other churches. They conclude that in spite of the apparent failure to proselytize many outsiders, the organizational mechanisms may continue to persist because of the latent functions they serve.
ISSN:2325-7873
Contains:Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3710649