Exploring Collective Effervescence in the Context of the Christian Church

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

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Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/8623j0312

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Abstract

Collective effervescence (CE) is the experience of intensified emotions and emotional connections to others. The concept recognizes that the experience is clearer and more intense in rituals and special events but also assumes that CE occurs in daily rituals and commonplace occurrences. This paper reports on research regarding collective effervescence in the church context. Through a survey utilizing a modified version of Gabriel et al.’s (2019) original TEAMS index to measure CE, I observe the relationship between CE, frequency of church participation, the purpose for attending church, and demographic factors. Through multiple regression analysis, I find that people who attend church and church events more frequently experience more CE. People who go to church for the purpose of learning about God experience more CE than those who go for any other reason. This contributes to the conversation about participation and collective effervescence, as mentioned by Xylgatas (2015), Liebst (2019) and Corcoran (2019). It also addresses CE in a more mundane context, as discussed by Collins (2004), Gabriel et al. (2019), and Vine (2023). It opens a conversation about ordinary church context, previously not mentioned in the study of CE.

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