Goodwill
Prayer in Marriage to Improve Wellness: Relationship Quality and Cardiovascular Functioning
Ross May, Ashley Cooper & Frank Fincham
Journal of Religion and Health, December 2020, Pages 2990-3003
Abstract:
This study examined daily partner-focused petitionary prayer (PFPP) on relationship communication and quality as well as novel indices of cardiovascular functioning in a sample of 90 adults. PFPP was compared to waitlist and meditation conditions over a 4-week period. Aortic hemodynamics via pulse wave analysis were assessed before and after the intervention. Factorial repeated measures analyses indicated that for those in the prayer condition, there were significant improvements in coronary perfusion, decreased left ventricular work, and increased coronary blood flow. Additionally, the perceived positive aspects of one's relationship improved for those in the prayer condition. Similar changes did not occur in waitlist and meditation conditions. Findings suggest that daily PFPP improves relationship quality and cardiovascular efficiency via improving protective cardiovascular mechanisms. Practical implications are briefly discussed.
The Peace of God
Andrew Young
Texas Tech University Working Paper, October 2020
Abstract:
Scholars have argued that the politically fractured landscape of medieval Western Europe was foundational to the evolution of constitutionalism and rule of law. In making this argument, Salter and Young (2019) have recently emphasized that the constellation of political property rights in the High Middle Ages was polycentric and hierarchical; holders of those rights were residual claimants to the returns on their governance and sovereign. The latter characteristics - residual claimancy and sovereignty - imply a clear delineation of jurisdictional boundaries and their integrity. However, historians' description of the "feudal anarchy" that followed the tenth-century disintegration of the Carolingian Empire does not suggest clearly-delineated and stable boundaries. In this paper, I highlight the role of the Peace of God movement in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in delineating and stabilizing the structure of political property rights. In terms of historical political economy, the Peace of God movement provides an important link between the early medieval era and the constitutional arrangements of the High Middle Ages.
How Do Religion and Sexual Orientation Affect Support for U.S. Presidential Candidates? Evidence from a Survey Experiment
Kraig Beyerlein & Jason Klocek
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, December 2020, Pages 551-568
Abstract:
A growing body of research has examined how candidates' religion or sexual orientation affect voting likelihood among the U.S. public. No systematic study, however, has focused on the combined effect of these traits. We draw on the intersectionality literature to develop and test hypotheses for this neglected, but important, combination. Results from an original survey experiment conducted in late June 2019 demonstrate that all respondents, as well as the Republican subgroup, tend to disapprove of a gay, religious candidate relative to other options (i.e., gay, nonreligious; straight, religious; and straight, nonreligious). Even Democrats expressed little support except when a straight, religious candidate was the alternative. Our findings underscore the need to study how overlapping - rather than discrete - traits influence political views and behaviors. They also raise important questions about the future of U.S. identity politics. Efforts to rally Republican and Democrat voters by mixing particular types of traits may not be a very effective strategy.
Is Criticism Disloyal? American Jews' Attitudes toward Israel
Graham Wright, Leonard Saxe & Kenneth Wald
Politics and Religion, forthcoming
Abstract:
To what extent is it possible for American Jews to maintain a deep emotional connection to Israel while criticizing the actions of the Israeli government? This long-debated question echoes earlier investigations of different forms of patriotism toward one's home country. Drawing on two 2019 surveys of American Jews, we find that, like Americans in general, Jewish liberals and conservatives express different forms of patriotism toward both Israel and America. Jewish conservatives tend to oppose criticism of Israel and America for any reason, while Jewish liberals view criticism as an important part of "caring" about both countries. Both forms of patriotism are positively associated with stronger emotional connections to the relevant country. These results suggest that emotional connection to Israel represents a form of social identification with Israel and that lower levels of connection to Israel among some American Jews are driven more by apathy than active criticism or hostility.