Sociologists Chaeyoon Lim of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Robert Putnam of Harvard University have recently reported on a study which reveals that religious people are happiest with their lives when they have made friends at church.
The research indicates that the health of a believer’s prayer life, the vitality of their worship at church and the strength of their faith are not the most important determinants of their levels of happiness. It seems that what matters most is whether the believer has made some close friends at church and feels a strong sense of belonging. Based on this evidence, Lim and Putnam argue that what makes religious people happier than the non-religious, are the social aspects of religious community and not the spiritual.
The research indicates that the health of a believer’s prayer life, the vitality of their worship at church and the strength of their faith are not the most important determinants of their levels of happiness. It seems that what matters most is whether the believer has made some close friends at church and feels a strong sense of belonging. Based on this evidence, Lim and Putnam argue that what makes religious people happier than the non-religious, are the social aspects of religious community and not the spiritual.
However, critics suggest that the research seems to be stating the painfully obvious – that being lonely in your church does not lead to a happy life. Although it may well be true that people who have made friends at church are happier, it does not necessarily mean that all you have to do to raise happiness levels is to help people make friends.
Nevertheless, there may be an important lesson in the research for church leaders, as the study appears to indicate that the fellowship aspects of church life do impact substantially on people’s lives.
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