Brandon C Martinez
Biographic Data
| ID | 206022 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Brandon C Martinez |
| GIVEN NAMES | Brandon C |
| FAMILY NAME | Martinez |
| SIGNATURE | MARTINEZ B C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Providence College |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3050-4229 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 147 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Religion and Racial Bias in Artificial Intelligence Large Language Models
Artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs) have been shown to replicate social and cultural biases that exist in their training data, particularly with regard to race and gender. The authors examine if LLMs hold implicit assumptions with regard to religious identities. The authors prompted multiple LLMs to generate a total of 175 religious sermons, specifying different combinations of race and religious tradition of the clergyperson. Th…
Latinx Blue Wave or Religious Red Shift? The Relationship between Evangelicalism, Church Attendance, and President Trump among Latinx Americans
Contrary to expectations of a leftward 'blue wave,' there is now a largely unanticipated 'red shift' of Latinx-identifying people toward Republican Party candidates. To examine this shift, data from the 2020 Cooperative Election Study, which features a robust sample of Latinx (Hispanic) Americans, are analyzed to study how religion contributes to the discussion of Latinx politics. Multivariate analyses reveal that Latinx Evangelical Protestants v…
Flowing Across with Demonic Hate: Belief in Supernatural Evil and Support for Stricter Immigration Policy
Prior research has found that different aspects of religion (such as service attendance and fundamentalism) have significant and varying effects on public attitudes about immigration. We identify an important but understudied aspect of how religion connects to immigration attitudes: beliefs about the reality of supernatural evil (e.g., Satan, hell, and demons). Using a national sample of Americans, we find that greater belief in supernatural evil…
Evangelical Ambivalence toward Gays and Lesbians
In 2004, Evangelical Christians seemed locked into an antagonistic relationship with the gay rights movement. Republican presidential incumbent George W. Bush had made a federal Defense of Marriage amendment central to his re-election campaign, in a strategic bid to rally Evangelical voters. This chapter proposes an explanation to the question of homosexuality by extending the concept of structured ambivalence: inconsistent normative expectations…
Race, Belonging, and Participation in Religious Congregations
This chapter discusses on race in religious organizations by examining racial group differences in belonging and participation in congregations. Race plays a primary sorting function in voluntary groups, especially congregations. Because of the formative influence of race/ethnicity on congregational culture, it stands to reason that members of the largest racial group would possess greater congregational commitaent than those of other races. The …
Parenting Practices and Attitudes and the Role of Belief in Supernatural Evil: Results From a National U.S. Survey
Research on parenting has explored a variety of religious factors affecting child-rearing outcomes but has devoted limited attention to supernatural evil. We extend this work by examining the relationship between parents’ belief in supernatural evil and their child-rearing outcomes. We propose that parents with greater belief in supernatural evil practice “supernatural risk management,” and they use parenting orientations more closely associated …
The Integration of Racial and Ethnic Minorities into White Congregations
Drawing from the homophily principle and organizational ecology theory, I follow previous literature and predict racial minorities will have lower levels of belonging and commitment when attending predominantly white congregations. Going beyond this literature, I incorporate contemporary racial stratification literature and propose integration into white congregations would vary by racial group as a result of the differing symbolic group position…
The Role of Whites in Lay Leadership Within Latino Churches
Latinos are the largest ethnoracial minority group in America, and Latino congregations play an important role in the lives of their members and communities. Yet, little research exists on these congregations. The current study provides an examination of the lay leadership structures and power dynamics within Latino congregations. Drawing from organizational ecology theory and the homophily principle as well as contemporary racial stratification …
Social Sources of Community Solidarity in U.S. Congregations
Community solidarity, or a collective sense of belonging, plays a vital role in the health and survival of many organizations. Consequently, identifying the elements that contribute to a strong sense of solidarity within communities has long been a topic of inquiry for scholars. In this study, we draw upon prior theorizing to develop and test four hypotheses regarding the organizational characteristics associated with community solidarity in reli…
The Effects of Protestant Theological Conservatism and Trust on Environmental Cooperation
Recent studies indicate that Protestant theological conservatism is associated with lower levels of generalized trust. In this article, we ask: What are the implications of theological conservatives' lower trust levels? Specifically, does their lower trust impact environmental cooperation? Past research finds that trust promotes cooperation, and we theorize that because theological conservatism undermines trust, it should negatively impact cooper…
General Strain Theory, Religiosity, and Delinquency among Young Latino Americans
Utilizing general strain theory and drawing from contemporary racial stratification literature and the sociology of religion, I contend general strain theory is salient among young Latinos. Additionally, I hypothesize religiosity is negatively correlated with delinquency, and attenuates the effects of strain on negative emotions and those of negative emotions on delinquency. Moreover, I hypothesize the impact of religiosity is more salient for fo…
When and Why Women Regret Sex in Hookups More Than Men Do: An Analysis of the Online College Social Life Survey
Using data from the Online College Social Life Survey, we examine the contexts in which there is a gender gap in regretting hookups, as well as the mechanisms that explain these gender gaps. Results suggest that gender differences in regret are larger following (and in the case of most recent hookups, limited to) hookups that involve vaginal intercourse. The gender gap in hookup regret is mostly a function of gender differences in sexual initiati…
Sunday School Teacher, Culture Warrior: The Politics of Lay Leaders in Three Religious Traditions
Objectives Political theorists have praised civic organizations as spaces for open political deliberation. But their leadership structure privileges some voices over others. In congregations, clergy set the context for political discussion. We argue that volunteer religious leaders also shape political talk in local churches. Lay leaders serve as political opinion leaders within local churches, with the power to either deepen or bridge political …
Exceptional Outgroup Stereotypes and White Racial Inequality Attitudes toward Asian Americans
Stereotypes of outgroups help create social identificational boundaries for ingroups. When the ingroup is dominant, members employ individualist sentiments to justify their status. In this study, we build on advances in social psychological research that account for multiple outgroup stereotypes. We argue the Asian American model minority stereotype is analogous to the "cold but competent" position of perceptions toward Asians in Fiske's stereoty…
Congregational Diversity and Attendance in a Mainline Protestant Denomination
One of the surprising oversights of existing research on racially/ethnically diverse congregations is the inattention to how racial composition relates to patterns of attendance. Is diversity associated with attendance growth, stability, or decline? A popular assumption from the Church Growth Movement is that cultural homogeneity is a foundation for growth, but recent research challenges this long-standing belief. We test these competing views wi…
Occupational conditions, self-care, and obesity among clergy in the United States
Neighborhood Ethnic Composition and Problem Drinking Among Older Mexican American Men: Results from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly
Live Long and Prosper: How Black Megachurches Address HIV/Aids and Poverty in the Age of Prosperity Theology
Star Trek character Spock's famous phrase, “Live long and prosper,” aptly summarizes the theological promises of prosperity theology, which has a heavy influence in black megachurches. However, these words may seem unrealistic to the American black population that continues to experience disproportionate amounts of both poverty and HIV/AIDS. In her book, Sandra Barnes investigates how black churches of 2000 or more participants reconcile this pre…
Evangelical Ambivalence toward Gays and Lesbians
Is Evil Good for Religion? The Link between Supernatural Evil and Religious Commitment
The devil made me do it" is a familiar cliché often used to justify a bad decision. However, are beliefs in a devil or other evil supernatural beings actually beneficial for religion? Building upon Stark and Bainbridge ( 1987 ) and elements of the supernatural punishment hypothesis, this study proposes and tests the hypothesis that a positive relationship exists between the belief in supernatural evil and religious commitment. Data from 2007 Bayl…
Race, Belonging, and Participation in Religious Congregations
Significant effort has gone into understanding and promoting racial diversity in congregations. Still, uniting worshippers of different races remains a challenging endeavor. Even congregations that successfully attract worshippers of different races often have difficulty sustaining their multiracial composition. This study contributes to the discussion of race and religion by examining racial group differences in belonging and participation in co…
Evangelical Ambivalence toward Gays and Lesbians
Race, Belonging, and Participation in Religious Congregations
Significant effort has gone into understanding and promoting racial diversity in congregations. Still, uniting worshippers of different races remains a challenging endeavor. Even congregations that successfully attract worshippers of different races often have difficulty sustaining their multiracial composition. This study contributes to the discussion of race and religion by examining racial group differences in belonging and participation in co…
Exceptional Outgroup Stereotypes and White Racial Inequality Attitudes toward Asian Americans
Stereotypes of outgroups help create social identificational boundaries for ingroups. When the ingroup is dominant, members employ individualist sentiments to justify their status. In this study, we build on advances in social psychological research that account for multiple outgroup stereotypes. We argue the Asian American model minority stereotype is analogous to the "cold but competent" position of perceptions toward Asians in Fiske's stereoty…
Congregational Diversity and Attendance in a Mainline Protestant Denomination
One of the surprising oversights of existing research on racially/ethnically diverse congregations is the inattention to how racial composition relates to patterns of attendance. Is diversity associated with attendance growth, stability, or decline? A popular assumption from the Church Growth Movement is that cultural homogeneity is a foundation for growth, but recent research challenges this long-standing belief. We test these competing views wi…
General Strain Theory, Religiosity, and Delinquency among Young Latino Americans
Utilizing general strain theory and drawing from contemporary racial stratification literature and the sociology of religion, I contend general strain theory is salient among young Latinos. Additionally, I hypothesize religiosity is negatively correlated with delinquency, and attenuates the effects of strain on negative emotions and those of negative emotions on delinquency. Moreover, I hypothesize the impact of religiosity is more salient for fo…
Is Evil Good for Religion? The Link between Supernatural Evil and Religious Commitment
The devil made me do it" is a familiar cliché often used to justify a bad decision. However, are beliefs in a devil or other evil supernatural beings actually beneficial for religion? Building upon Stark and Bainbridge ( 1987 ) and elements of the supernatural punishment hypothesis, this study proposes and tests the hypothesis that a positive relationship exists between the belief in supernatural evil and religious commitment. Data from 2007 Bayl…
Parenting Practices and Attitudes and the Role of Belief in Supernatural Evil: Results From a National U.S. Survey
Research on parenting has explored a variety of religious factors affecting child-rearing outcomes but has devoted limited attention to supernatural evil. We extend this work by examining the relationship between parents’ belief in supernatural evil and their child-rearing outcomes. We propose that parents with greater belief in supernatural evil practice “supernatural risk management,” and they use parenting orientations more closely associated …
The Role of Whites in Lay Leadership Within Latino Churches
Latinos are the largest ethnoracial minority group in America, and Latino congregations play an important role in the lives of their members and communities. Yet, little research exists on these congregations. The current study provides an examination of the lay leadership structures and power dynamics within Latino congregations. Drawing from organizational ecology theory and the homophily principle as well as contemporary racial stratification …
Sunday School Teacher, Culture Warrior: The Politics of Lay Leaders in Three Religious Traditions
Objectives Political theorists have praised civic organizations as spaces for open political deliberation. But their leadership structure privileges some voices over others. In congregations, clergy set the context for political discussion. We argue that volunteer religious leaders also shape political talk in local churches. Lay leaders serve as political opinion leaders within local churches, with the power to either deepen or bridge political …
Latinx Blue Wave or Religious Red Shift? The Relationship between Evangelicalism, Church Attendance, and President Trump among Latinx Americans
Contrary to expectations of a leftward 'blue wave,' there is now a largely unanticipated 'red shift' of Latinx-identifying people toward Republican Party candidates. To examine this shift, data from the 2020 Cooperative Election Study, which features a robust sample of Latinx (Hispanic) Americans, are analyzed to study how religion contributes to the discussion of Latinx politics. Multivariate analyses reveal that Latinx Evangelical Protestants v…
Flowing Across with Demonic Hate: Belief in Supernatural Evil and Support for Stricter Immigration Policy
Prior research has found that different aspects of religion (such as service attendance and fundamentalism) have significant and varying effects on public attitudes about immigration. We identify an important but understudied aspect of how religion connects to immigration attitudes: beliefs about the reality of supernatural evil (e.g., Satan, hell, and demons). Using a national sample of Americans, we find that greater belief in supernatural evil…
When and Why Women Regret Sex in Hookups More Than Men Do: An Analysis of the Online College Social Life Survey
Using data from the Online College Social Life Survey, we examine the contexts in which there is a gender gap in regretting hookups, as well as the mechanisms that explain these gender gaps. Results suggest that gender differences in regret are larger following (and in the case of most recent hookups, limited to) hookups that involve vaginal intercourse. The gender gap in hookup regret is mostly a function of gender differences in sexual initiati…
Occupational conditions, self-care, and obesity among clergy in the United States
The Integration of Racial and Ethnic Minorities into White Congregations
Drawing from the homophily principle and organizational ecology theory, I follow previous literature and predict racial minorities will have lower levels of belonging and commitment when attending predominantly white congregations. Going beyond this literature, I incorporate contemporary racial stratification literature and propose integration into white congregations would vary by racial group as a result of the differing symbolic group position…
Social Sources of Community Solidarity in U.S. Congregations
Community solidarity, or a collective sense of belonging, plays a vital role in the health and survival of many organizations. Consequently, identifying the elements that contribute to a strong sense of solidarity within communities has long been a topic of inquiry for scholars. In this study, we draw upon prior theorizing to develop and test four hypotheses regarding the organizational characteristics associated with community solidarity in reli…
The Effects of Protestant Theological Conservatism and Trust on Environmental Cooperation
Recent studies indicate that Protestant theological conservatism is associated with lower levels of generalized trust. In this article, we ask: What are the implications of theological conservatives' lower trust levels? Specifically, does their lower trust impact environmental cooperation? Past research finds that trust promotes cooperation, and we theorize that because theological conservatism undermines trust, it should negatively impact cooper…
Live Long and Prosper: How Black Megachurches Address HIV/Aids and Poverty in the Age of Prosperity Theology
Star Trek character Spock's famous phrase, “Live long and prosper,” aptly summarizes the theological promises of prosperity theology, which has a heavy influence in black megachurches. However, these words may seem unrealistic to the American black population that continues to experience disproportionate amounts of both poverty and HIV/AIDS. In her book, Sandra Barnes investigates how black churches of 2000 or more participants reconcile this pre…
Is Evil Good for Religion? The Link between Supernatural Evil and Religious Commitment
The devil made me do it" is a familiar cliché often used to justify a bad decision. However, are beliefs in a devil or other evil supernatural beings actually beneficial for religion? Building upon Stark and Bainbridge ( 1987 ) and elements of the supernatural punishment hypothesis, this study proposes and tests the hypothesis that a positive relationship exists between the belief in supernatural evil and religious commitment. Data from 2007 Bayl…
Race, Belonging, and Participation in Religious Congregations
Significant effort has gone into understanding and promoting racial diversity in congregations. Still, uniting worshippers of different races remains a challenging endeavor. Even congregations that successfully attract worshippers of different races often have difficulty sustaining their multiracial composition. This study contributes to the discussion of race and religion by examining racial group differences in belonging and participation in co…
Neighborhood Ethnic Composition and Problem Drinking Among Older Mexican American Men: Results from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly
Live Long and Prosper: How Black Megachurches Address HIV/Aids and Poverty in the Age of Prosperity Theology
Star Trek character Spock's famous phrase, “Live long and prosper,” aptly summarizes the theological promises of prosperity theology, which has a heavy influence in black megachurches. However, these words may seem unrealistic to the American black population that continues to experience disproportionate amounts of both poverty and HIV/AIDS. In her book, Sandra Barnes investigates how black churches of 2000 or more participants reconcile this pre…
Evangelical Ambivalence toward Gays and Lesbians
Sunday School Teacher, Culture Warrior: The Politics of Lay Leaders in Three Religious Traditions
Objectives Political theorists have praised civic organizations as spaces for open political deliberation. But their leadership structure privileges some voices over others. In congregations, clergy set the context for political discussion. We argue that volunteer religious leaders also shape political talk in local churches. Lay leaders serve as political opinion leaders within local churches, with the power to either deepen or bridge political …
Exceptional Outgroup Stereotypes and White Racial Inequality Attitudes toward Asian Americans
Stereotypes of outgroups help create social identificational boundaries for ingroups. When the ingroup is dominant, members employ individualist sentiments to justify their status. In this study, we build on advances in social psychological research that account for multiple outgroup stereotypes. We argue the Asian American model minority stereotype is analogous to the "cold but competent" position of perceptions toward Asians in Fiske's stereoty…
Congregational Diversity and Attendance in a Mainline Protestant Denomination
One of the surprising oversights of existing research on racially/ethnically diverse congregations is the inattention to how racial composition relates to patterns of attendance. Is diversity associated with attendance growth, stability, or decline? A popular assumption from the Church Growth Movement is that cultural homogeneity is a foundation for growth, but recent research challenges this long-standing belief. We test these competing views wi…
Occupational conditions, self-care, and obesity among clergy in the United States
Social Sources of Community Solidarity in U.S. Congregations
Community solidarity, or a collective sense of belonging, plays a vital role in the health and survival of many organizations. Consequently, identifying the elements that contribute to a strong sense of solidarity within communities has long been a topic of inquiry for scholars. In this study, we draw upon prior theorizing to develop and test four hypotheses regarding the organizational characteristics associated with community solidarity in reli…
The Effects of Protestant Theological Conservatism and Trust on Environmental Cooperation
Recent studies indicate that Protestant theological conservatism is associated with lower levels of generalized trust. In this article, we ask: What are the implications of theological conservatives' lower trust levels? Specifically, does their lower trust impact environmental cooperation? Past research finds that trust promotes cooperation, and we theorize that because theological conservatism undermines trust, it should negatively impact cooper…
General Strain Theory, Religiosity, and Delinquency among Young Latino Americans
Utilizing general strain theory and drawing from contemporary racial stratification literature and the sociology of religion, I contend general strain theory is salient among young Latinos. Additionally, I hypothesize religiosity is negatively correlated with delinquency, and attenuates the effects of strain on negative emotions and those of negative emotions on delinquency. Moreover, I hypothesize the impact of religiosity is more salient for fo…
When and Why Women Regret Sex in Hookups More Than Men Do: An Analysis of the Online College Social Life Survey
Using data from the Online College Social Life Survey, we examine the contexts in which there is a gender gap in regretting hookups, as well as the mechanisms that explain these gender gaps. Results suggest that gender differences in regret are larger following (and in the case of most recent hookups, limited to) hookups that involve vaginal intercourse. The gender gap in hookup regret is mostly a function of gender differences in sexual initiati…
Parenting Practices and Attitudes and the Role of Belief in Supernatural Evil: Results From a National U.S. Survey
Research on parenting has explored a variety of religious factors affecting child-rearing outcomes but has devoted limited attention to supernatural evil. We extend this work by examining the relationship between parents’ belief in supernatural evil and their child-rearing outcomes. We propose that parents with greater belief in supernatural evil practice “supernatural risk management,” and they use parenting orientations more closely associated …
The Integration of Racial and Ethnic Minorities into White Congregations
Drawing from the homophily principle and organizational ecology theory, I follow previous literature and predict racial minorities will have lower levels of belonging and commitment when attending predominantly white congregations. Going beyond this literature, I incorporate contemporary racial stratification literature and propose integration into white congregations would vary by racial group as a result of the differing symbolic group position…
The Role of Whites in Lay Leadership Within Latino Churches
Latinos are the largest ethnoracial minority group in America, and Latino congregations play an important role in the lives of their members and communities. Yet, little research exists on these congregations. The current study provides an examination of the lay leadership structures and power dynamics within Latino congregations. Drawing from organizational ecology theory and the homophily principle as well as contemporary racial stratification …
Evangelical Ambivalence toward Gays and Lesbians
In 2004, Evangelical Christians seemed locked into an antagonistic relationship with the gay rights movement. Republican presidential incumbent George W. Bush had made a federal Defense of Marriage amendment central to his re-election campaign, in a strategic bid to rally Evangelical voters. This chapter proposes an explanation to the question of homosexuality by extending the concept of structured ambivalence: inconsistent normative expectations…
Race, Belonging, and Participation in Religious Congregations
This chapter discusses on race in religious organizations by examining racial group differences in belonging and participation in congregations. Race plays a primary sorting function in voluntary groups, especially congregations. Because of the formative influence of race/ethnicity on congregational culture, it stands to reason that members of the largest racial group would possess greater congregational commitaent than those of other races. The …
Flowing Across with Demonic Hate: Belief in Supernatural Evil and Support for Stricter Immigration Policy
Prior research has found that different aspects of religion (such as service attendance and fundamentalism) have significant and varying effects on public attitudes about immigration. We identify an important but understudied aspect of how religion connects to immigration attitudes: beliefs about the reality of supernatural evil (e.g., Satan, hell, and demons). Using a national sample of Americans, we find that greater belief in supernatural evil…
Latinx Blue Wave or Religious Red Shift? The Relationship between Evangelicalism, Church Attendance, and President Trump among Latinx Americans
Contrary to expectations of a leftward 'blue wave,' there is now a largely unanticipated 'red shift' of Latinx-identifying people toward Republican Party candidates. To examine this shift, data from the 2020 Cooperative Election Study, which features a robust sample of Latinx (Hispanic) Americans, are analyzed to study how religion contributes to the discussion of Latinx politics. Multivariate analyses reveal that Latinx Evangelical Protestants v…
Religion and Racial Bias in Artificial Intelligence Large Language Models
Artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs) have been shown to replicate social and cultural biases that exist in their training data, particularly with regard to race and gender. The authors examine if LLMs hold implicit assumptions with regard to religious identities. The authors prompted multiple LLMs to generate a total of 175 religious sermons, specifying different combinations of race and religious tradition of the clergyperson. Th…
Sociology (18 works) · Psychology (15 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Religion and Society Interactions (13 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (12 works) · Political science (11 works) · Law (9 works) · Religion, Society, and Development (9 works) · Gender Studies (7 works) · Demography (5 works)