Women are more religious than men. Despite being excluded from leadership positions, in almost every culture and religious tradition, women are more likely than men to pray, to worship, and to claim that their faith is important to them. Women also dominate the world of 'New Age' spirituality and are far more superstitious than men. This book reviews the now sizeable body of social research to consider if the gender gap in religion is indeed universal. Marta Trzebiatowska and Steve Bruce extensively critique competing explanations of the differences found. They conclude that the gender gap is not the result of biology but is rather the consequence of important social differences over-lapping and reinforcing each other. Responsibility for managing birth, child-rearing and death, for example, and attitudes to the body, illness and health, each play a part. In the West, the gender gap is exaggerated because the social changes that undermined the plausibility of religion bore most heavily on men first. Where the lives of men and women become more similar, and where religious indifference grows, the gender gap gradually disappears. Written in an accessible style whilst drawing some robust conclusions, the book's main purpose is to serve as a state-of-the-art review for those interested in one of the largest differences between male and female behaviour.

About the Author
Marta Trzebiatowska is a Lecturer in Sociology at University of Aberdeen. Steve Bruce is Professor of Sociology at University of Aberdeen.

Reviews
[This] work is at its most compelling when it touches on the interaction of gender and religion with other social differences such as race ... Trzebiatowska and Bruce's book is accessible and a timely resource. * Theology *
The book is, in sum, a stimulating stab at drawing up a map of the parts of the literature that the authors find interesting. It is a light, quick read, which is refreshingly well written and well edited. * Ingie Hovland, Journal of Contemporary Religion, *
This volume takes a unique approach to women's religiosity ... this is refreshing and to be welcomed in throwing light on a complex area of study. * Stephen Hunt, Religion and Gender *
The book is cogently argued and a helpful contribution from a secular perspective to an understanding of how those seeking the (re-) evangelisation of our nation need to address the important question of reaching men as well as women. * Fiona Gibson, Churchman *
With its illuminating historical approach and its clear, careful method, Why Are Women More Religious Than Men? delivers a startling insight on almost every page. * Donna Bowman, Religion *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198709725
Author Marta Trzebiatowska
Format Paperback
Page Count 214
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 141mm * 12mm