CONFIDENCE IN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND SECULARIZATION - TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS

The debate over the secularization theory has generated numerous studi es that focus on patterns of religious attendance or on religious beli efs and practices. However, there has been a subtle shift in focus in this debate as some have argued that secularization should be viewed a s declining religious authority. A recent study suggests that declinin g religious authority may be operationalized by examining the public's confidence in religious institutions over time. This study uses 20 ye ars of GSS data (1974-94) to investigate trends in confidence measures across a range of institutions, including religious institutions. The results indicate a general decline in confidence that cuts across sev eral American institutions, but the declines among younger cohorts hav e been particularly great for religious institutions and financial ins titutions. A more detailed analysis reveals that, unlike older cohort members, younger cohorts members who attend religious services less fr equently report significantly lower confidence in religious institutio ns than younger cohort members who attend religious services more freq uently. This finding has important implications for the ability of rel igious organizations to retain or bolster legitimacy and authority in the eyes of the American public.