Name: Liberal Churches Disappearing & Conservative/Strict Churches Thrive? Strict Church Theory.
Uploaded: 2023-04-07T12:25:48.000Z
Duration: 15 min 46 s

If you look into some statistics from 1990-2010, some of the more liberal or moderate-leaning

Christian denominations are losing followers quicker than a cat loses interest in a laser

pointer, at the meantime, the conservative and stricter denominations like Evangelicals

So why this is happening, let's find out with PAA.

Hi, I am Shao Chieh Lo, welcome to what people also ask, where I search something seemingly

obvious and share with you some of its PAA, aka People Also Ask, which is a feature telling

you what other people are searching on Google that relates to your query Today's query is

“strict church theory”, a theory that suggests that strict religious are stronger.

We will also explore if this theory can explain the decline of liberal-leaning churches in

the United States with relevant research and online articles.

So let's start with our first question What is strict church theory?

According to an article titled “The Power of the Mustard Seed-Why strict churches are

strong.”published by Slate, the strict church theory, as explained by economist Laurence

Iannaccone in his 1994 essay "Why Strict Churches Are Strong," suggests that people choose to

join strict religious communities because of the quantifiable benefits their piety affords

Laurence Iannaccone is an American economist who has extensively studied the economics

He, alongside other scholars, has developed a theory called the "supply-side theory of

religion”, which suggests that religious groups can be analyzed like other economic

According to Iannaccone, the devout person is willing to pay a high financial, social,

and emotionally price to participate in strict religion because he believes he buys a so-called

A better religious product, as Iannaccone defined, is one that is more costly to produce

He argues that higher costs can signal a stronger commitment to the group and its beliefs, and

therefore result in greater participation and loyalty from members.

For example, a religious group that requires members to attend frequent meetings, make

significant financial contributions, and adhere to strict behavioral guidelines may be seen

as offering a "better" product than a group that has few requirements and little commitment

The rules discourage free riders aka the people who undermine group efforts by taking more

The strict church is one in which members with weak commitments have been weeded out,

resulting in a community of passionate members who are deeply involved in one another's lives

and more willing than most to come to one another's aid.

In this way, religion is seen as a "commodity" that people produce collectively, and the

benefits of strict religious observance are thought to extend beyond the afterlife and

into secular day-to-day life even the participant might not aware of its secular value.

However, it's important to note that Iannaccone's theory has been subject to debate and criticism

from other scholars in the field of religious studies, who argue that it oversimplifies

the complex nature of religious experience and community.

But before that, let's talk about What are some examples of “strict churches”?

Here are some real-life examples of how the theory applies to different religious groups:

Amish: The Amish are a Christian denomination known for their traditional, conservative

They live in tight-knit communities and adhere to strict moral codes, such as dressing modestly

The Amish church demands a high level of commitment from its members, including regular attendance

at church services and adherence to strict behavioral guidelines.

The high cost of joining and remaining in the Amish community may be seen as a reason

why the Amish have been able to maintain a strong and cohesive community over time.

Hasidic Jews: Hasidic Judaism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that emphasizes the importance

of spiritual growth and religious observance.

Hasidic Jews are known for their distinctive dress, their emphasis on prayer and study,

and their strict adherence to Jewish law.

The Hasidic community demands a high level of commitment from its members, including

regular attendance at synagogue services and strict adherence to dietary laws and other

The high cost of membership in the Hasidic community may be seen as a reason why the

community has been able to maintain its distinctive identity and a strong sense of community over

Jehovah's Witnesses: Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian denomination known for their evangelistic

zeal and their emphasis on door-to-door preaching.

The Jehovah's Witnesses church demands a high level of commitment from its members, including

regular attendance at meetings, adherence to strict behavioral guidelines, and a willingness

to devote time and resources to evangelism.

The high cost of membership in the Jehovah's Witnesses community may be seen as a reason

why the community has been able to maintain a strong sense of identity and purpose over

What are some criticisms of strict church theory?

There are many criticisms and discussions that challenge the assumptions of strict church

theory, for example, one study titled “Are strict churches really stronger?

A study of strictness, congregational activity and growth in American Protestant churches”

published by West Virginia University in 2010 examines the relationship between strictness,

congregational activity, and church growth.

While some indicators of strictness and congregational activity are positively associated with growth,

most do not have strong associations with it.

The study suggests that other factors or church characteristics may be better predictors of

church growth, but strictness and congregational activity are indeed correlated with growth.

However, it appears that a strong sense of purpose and mission is more important for

Overall, strictness appears to be associated with growth, but promoting solidarity may

be more important than strictness in particular.

There are also many logical criticisms of this theory, and I have compiled some of them

as follows: Causal ambiguity: It is not clear whether the success of strict religious communities

is due to their strict practices or other factors, such as their geographic location,

historical context, or the specific beliefs of their members.

Selection bias: The strict church theory tends to select successful religious communities

and attributes their success to their strict practices while ignoring the many unsuccessful

communities that also have strict practices.

Ethnocentrism: The strict church theory tends to focus on Protestant communities in the

United States, ignoring other religious traditions and communities around the world.

And even if the strict church theory does hold water to some degree, it's obvious

strict churches do have some limitations.

So When would a strict church fail to attract followers?

The strict church theory suggests that strictness in religious practice can be beneficial to