Faith and fatherhood

Christian men — to be more specific, devout evangelical Protestants — make better fathers than the public perceives, says sociologist and author W. Bradford Wilcox.

“Many think religion plays a baleful role, pushing men toward authoritarianism,” Mr. Wilcox said during a discussion at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in the District. But he said men who attend church regularly are “more affectionate, involved and strict” than fathers who do not attend church regularly.

In his new book, “Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands,” Mr. Wilcox says religious men are more attentive to the needs of their families than nonreligious men.

Active evangelicals, he said, spend more time with their children, have better relationships with their wives and are less likely to be abusive when compared with nonbelievers. Devout evangelical fathers also compare favorably with other Christians — including Catholics and those of “mainline” Protestant denominations — and with Christians who don’t attend services regularly.

Mr. Wilcox said his research showed that dedicated evangelicals “tend to excel in discipline, playing and encouraging their children.”

Strong faith also promotes domestic tranquility, according to his research.

“No one ain’t happy if mama ain’t happy,” Mr. Wilcox joked. He said wives of churchgoing evangelicals report being happier than wives of men who don’t attend church.

Mr. Wilcox said that men who have good relationships with their wives tend to be better fathers. In addition to spending more time with their children, fathers who have good relationships with the children’s mothers become good examples of how men should treat women respectfully.

“Children with involved, affectionate fathers are much better off,” Mr. Wilcox said.

He said it is important to distinguish between regular churchgoers and men who identify themselves as religious but are not involved in church services or activities. Irregular members, he said, “use male headship to legitimize bad things” such as abuse and divorce.

Divorce rates among those who identify themselves as Christians are higher than for atheists and agnostics, according to the Barna Group, a California-based organization specializing in religious research. In September, the group released data showing that 39 percent of married Protestants had experienced divorce while 35 percent of married non-Christians had been through divorce.

Such statistics, Mr. Wilcox said, fail to measure the influence of church attendance. “Regular churchgoers are more than 30 percent less likely to divorce” than people who do not attend church regularly, he said.

“The key issue is not whether one is affiliated with a church or claims to have had a ‘born-again’ experience,” Mr. Wilcox said. “It is if they regularly attend church.”

He said separating active churchgoers from those who merely report an affiliation to Christianity breaks down the stereotype that traditional religions encourage emotional and physical abuse.

“Assumptions make people skeptical of traditions,” Mr. Wilcox said, adding that men who spend time in church and understand the teachings tend to make better fathers.

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