Article: Conservative Protestant Congregations and Racial Residential Segregation:Evaluating the Closed Community Thesis in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties. American Sociological Review, June, 2007.
Summary: This article tests the hypothesis that the number of Conservative Protestant congregations per 1,000 non-Hispanic whites is directly associated with the level of residential segregation between whites and blacks. The author finds that levels of segregation correspond positively with the presence of Conservative Protestant congregations and is consistnet across a variety of both urban and rural locales. Blanchard (the author) argues that this takes place not simply because of racial intolerance (though he admits this may have some impact in these congregations), but rather because of the closed nature of these groups and a strong focus on in-group relationships. Unlike other major Christian denominations, Conservative Protestans eschew programs and services that reach out to non-members and instead emphasize in-groupt ties and relationships. Furthermore, while other churches may serve as the meeting point for different races and thus act as a springboard toward integration, the closed nature of Conservative Protestant congregations serves to strengthen, not weaken, excisting social cleavages.
