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Even priceless has to have a number: congregational halo effect

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The value that religious congregations provide to their urban communities was never challenged yet never fully assessed. Using the methodology of valuation, we attempted to provide a monetary value to the contributions of such congregations. We divided the studied contributions to six key area and discuss the meaning of each such contribution. Based on empirical work in three US cities (N = 90), we assess the monetary value of these congregations to their respective urban ecologies. Using variety of methods, we assess that such annual per congregation contribution spanned between $1,269,780 and $2,511,376. We then, analyze what is any of the congregational characteristics explain overall contribution as well within the six main categories. We also discuss area not studied in which congregations support their communities, discuss our limitations, and offer directions for new research as well as policy implications.

Keywords: Valuation; community; congregations; economic assessment; fiscal value; religion

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Publication date: January 1, 2018

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  • The Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion (JMSR) now in its twenty second year, is the leading journal in this subfield of scholarship, housing the largest collection of academic work linking the disciplines of business, management and organization, religious studies, practical theology and philosophy, as well as the social sciences more generally. A truly interdisciplinary bridge journal, JMSR is highly regarded, listed in five categories by Scopus at the 96th percentile (Scopus 2024); at the top 10% of journals in its category (33/340) in Clarivate Journal Citation Indicator (Clarivate, 2024) and at 0.884 impact by Cabells (out of a maximum of 1.00). A hybrid journal, JMSR offers a Gold Open Access option to interested authors, but otherwise submission and publication are free of charge. JMSR thrives to fulfil its pivotal role as a bridge journal between business & management, the social sciences and the humanities, as the prime forum for disseminating empirical data, developing theory, reporting best practice, and for the exchange of ideas and debate.
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