Graduates of Protestant Christian schools place a higher value on family matters and are less likely to be engaged politically than their peers attending Catholic or nonreligious private schools, according to a recent study of Christian education in North America conducted by Notre Dame sociologist David Sikkink. The survey found Protestant school graduates talk less often about politics, participate less frequently in political campaigns and are less likely to donate to political causes.
Additionally, graduates of K-12 Protestant schools are more apt to donate money and less likely to divorce. However, they tend to have less higher education and lower incomes than their Catholic and nonreligious school peers. Related to that, Catholic school administrators were more likely to rank “university” as their top priority, while Protestant school administrators placed a higher value on “family.”
The two-year study, which sampled adult graduates, ages 24 to 39, also revealed that those graduates:
— have more children than their Catholic and nonreligious peers
— participate in more relief and development service trips
— are more apt to express gratitude for what they have in life
— attend less competitive colleges.
The research study was conducted by the Notre Dame associate professor of sociology in partnership with Cardus, a public policy think tank.
John Monczunski is an associate editor of Notre Dame Magzine.