The impact of Protestant fundamentalism on educational attainment

Sociological interest in the material consequences of religious orientations died out following raging debates during the 1960s and 1970s. Using insider documents from conservative Protestant communities, we reopen this issue by examining how fundamentalist Protestant cultural orientations discourage educational pursuits. Using data from the Youth Parent Socialization Panel Study we demonstrate that fundamentalist beliefs and conservative Protestant affiliation both have significant and substantial negative influences on educational attainment above and beyond social background factors.