Rock of Ages: Subcultural Religious Identity and Public Opinion among Young Evangelicals (Religious Engagement in Democratic Politics)

Evangelicals and Republicans have been powerful—and active—allies in American politics since the 1970s. But as public opinions have changed, are young evangelicals’ political identities and attitudes on key issues changing too? And if so, why? In Rock of Ages, Jeremiah Castle answers these questions to understand their important implications for American politics and society. Castle develops his own theory of public opinion among young evangelicals to predict and explain their political attitudes and voting behavior. Relying on both survey data and his own interviews with evangelical college students, he shows that while some young evangelicals may be more liberal in their attitudes on some issues, most are just as firmly Republican, conservative, and pro-life on abortion as the previous generation. Rock of Ages considers not only what makes young evangelicals different from the previous generation, but also what that means for both the church and American politics. Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction: Two Big Questions about Young Evangelicals 14 Part I: Trends in Public Opinion among Young Evangelicals 28 1. A Subcultural Theory of Public Opinion among Evangelicals 30 2. Winds of Change or Still the Same? Political Identities and Issue Attitudes among Young Evangelicals 50 3. Inside Out or Outside In: Explaining Change among Young Evangelicals 83 Part II: Methods of Understanding Public Opinion among Young Evangelicals 110 4. How the Evangelical Subculture Influences Public Opinion 112 5. Testing Subcultural Immersion’s Impact on Public Opinion 144 6. Public Opinion among Liberal Young Evangelicals 159 Conclusion 185 Appendix: Coding Religious Tradition 194 Chapter 3 Appendix 196 Chapter 5 Appendix 198 Chapter 6 Appendix 202 Notes 206 References 212 Index 228