Evangelical Families Vary From Rhetoric

A new study by Princeton sociologists reports that evangelical Christian families are far more progressive in action than the words of their leaders might suggest.

“The Evangelical Family Paradox: Conservative Rhetoric, Progressive Practice,” is the latest study in a research endeavor by W. Bradford Wilcox, a doctoral student at Princeton University, and John P. Bartkowski, a professor of sociology at Princeton. It was published in the summer issue of the nonsectarian, nonpartisan quarterly journal the Responsive Community.

“Evangelical family practice does not match evangelical family rhetoric,” the two wrote. The rhetoric from evangelical leaders, such as the Southern Baptist Convention’s 1998 resolution that called on wives to “submit . . . graciously” to their husbands, portrays conservative family values. But in practice, on subjects such as male participation in household tasks like cooking and cleaning, evangelicals do not differ from other American couples.

At the same time, though, Wilcox has found that conservative Protestants are twice as likely to use corporal punishment as other parents.

“It’s a neo-traditional style of parenting, where you combine more spanking with more hugging and praising,” Wilcox said.

The study identifies socioeconomic changes among evangelicals as a possible root of changes in the evangelical family.

The report says that from 1972 to 1994, the percentage of evangelical Americans who were college graduates doubled, leading to a more middle-class leaning in the evangelical community.

“I think evangelicals have moved to a large extent from a more working-class background to a more middle-class,” said Wilcox.