Keeping the faith! Drivers of participation in spiritually-based communities

Spiritually based communities (SBCs) provide a range of economic and social benefits to society. Declining memberships prompt a need for greater understanding and insight into the factors that drive participation in these communities. This study provides a conceptual model depicting religiosity as the core driver of donation of time, money and attendances at religious services. The model further indicates that the impact of belief in a ‘higher being’ on participation in SBCs is moderated by age, income, time available for socialization, desire to make a social contribution, and need for social interaction. A preliminary investigation in Australia provides strong support for the model, serving as a starting point for a number of future studies on the behaviors of SBC members.