Paradoxes of Pluralism, Privilege, and Persecution: Explaining Christian Growth and Decline Worldwide

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilay Saiya ◽  
Stuti Manchanda
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
The Other ◽  
Faith Traditions ◽  
Statistical Approaches ◽  
State Relations ◽  
Christian Population ◽  
Cross National

Abstract This article examines the effect of church–state relations on rates of Christian population growth or decline worldwide. It makes the paradoxical argument that contexts of both pluralism and persecution do not impede Christian growth rates. In these environments, Christians do not have the luxury of becoming complacent. On one hand, pluralism means that Christianity must actively compete with other faith traditions in order to gain and maintain adherents. On the other hand, persecution can, paradoxically, sometimes strengthen Christianity by deepening attachments to faith and reinforcing solidarity among Christians. Rather, it is a third type of relationship—privilege, or state support for Christianity—that corresponds to the greatest threat to growth in Christianity. Countries where Christianity is privileged by the state encourage apathy and the politicization of religion, resulting in a less dynamic faith and the overall decline of Christian populations. We test these propositions using a cross-national, time-series analysis of a global sample of countries from 2010 to 2020. Our findings provide support for our theory that Christianity suffers in contexts of privilege but not in environments of pluralism or persecution. The finding is robust to a number of model specifications and statistical approaches.

Armed Conflict and Religious Adherence Across Countries: A Time Series Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nohemi Jocabeth Echeverría Vicente ◽  
Kenneth Hemmerechts ◽  
Dimokritos Kavadias
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Sociology Of Religion ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
Religious Revival ◽  
Comparative Sociology ◽  
National Differences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cross National

Abstract A fundamental question in the comparative sociology of religion is: What are the drivers of cross-national differences in religiosity? The existential insecurity argument raises the expectation of higher levels of religiosity in contexts of social crisis. We test this argument against countries’ armed conflict experiences, employing global longitudinal data on religious adherence over almost half a century. We did not find evidence of religious revival when measuring the consequences of armed conflict with a 5-year lag, indicating that armed conflict-related social crises do not tend to lead to sudden changes in the religious adherence of a country. However, we did find more consistent indications of a higher proportion of religious people when using accumulated measurements of armed conflict, highlighting the importance of investigating the armed conflict history of a country when assessing its religious consequences. Our results show that countries with a more devastating experience of armed conflict tend to present higher proportions of religious adherence in comparison with countries with a less devastating armed conflict history. We concluded that armed conflict tends to partially drive religious persistence in societies that have experienced it, and that the pace at which this takes place is gradual rather than immediate.

scholarly journals Weather influences M. arvalis reproduction but not population dynamics in a 17-year time series

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Giraudoux ◽  
Petra Villette ◽  
Jean-Pierre Quéré ◽  
Jean-Pierre Damange ◽  
Pierre Delattre
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Common Vole ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Population Growth Rates

Abstract Rodent outbreaks have plagued European agriculture for centuries, but continue to elude comprehensive explanation. Modelling and empirical work in some cyclic rodent systems suggests that changes in reproductive parameters are partly responsible for observed population dynamics. Using a 17-year time series of Microtus arvalis population abundance and demographic data, we explored the relationship between meteorological conditions (temperature and rainfall), female reproductive activity, and population growth rates in a non-cyclic population of this grassland vole species. We found strong but complex relationships between female reproduction and climate variables, with spring female reproduction depressed after cold winters. Population growth rates were, however, uncorrelated with either weather conditions (current and up to three months prior) or with female reproduction (number of foetuses per female and/or proportion of females reproductively active in the population). These results, coupled with age-structure data, suggest that mortality, via predation, disease, or a combination of the two, are responsible for the large multi-annual but non-cyclic population dynamics observed in this population of the common vole.

scholarly journals INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: A TIME SERIES ANALYSIS ON TURKEY (2000-2012)

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Kargı
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Quarterly Data ◽  
Series Analysis ◽  
Gdp Growth Rate

In this study the relation between the economic growth and the construction industry has been tackled. While the growth the rate of the construction industry in the developing countries is more than the GDP growth rate, it is detected that the percent age it takes in the GDP of developed countries relatively diminishes. On the other hand the construction industry’s growth in the economic fluctuation periods, in the aftermath of a recession, is more than the GDP. These two proposals are tested by the quarterly data of 2000:01-2012:03 for Turkey. Additionally the relation between the economic growth and the construction industry is subjected to the Granger causality test.Keywords: Economic growth, construction industry, time series analysis.

Exploring long-term urban cycles with multivariate time-series analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 239980832110581
Author(s):  
Luca Salvati
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Multivariate Time Series ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Series Analysis ◽  
Multivariate Time Series Analysis ◽  
Non Linear

European cities underwent long-term socioeconomic transformations resulting in a shift from centralized demographic growth typical of late industrialization to a more recent (and spatially uncoordinated) de-concentration of population and economic activities. While abandoning traditional compact models and moving toward settlement dispersion, population growth in urban areas was assumed to follow a “life cycle” constituted of four developmental stages (urbanization, suburbanization, counter-urbanization, and re-urbanization). We studied anomalies in the City Life Cycle (CLC) of a large metropolitan region (Athens, Greece) with the aim at achieving a less mechanistic interpretation of long-term population growth in complex social contexts. Using population data that cover more than 170 years (1848–2020) and multivariate time-series analysis, a non-linear growth history was delineated, with sequential accelerations and decelerations characteristic of the first CLC stage (urbanization). Considering the classical division in three radio-centric districts (core, ring, and agglomeration), different development stages coexisted since World War II. Heterogeneous suburbanization processes mixed up with late urbanization and weaker impulses of counter-urbanization and re-urbanization. The empirical results of time-series analysis confirm the non-linear expansion of Athens, shedding further light on long-term mechanisms of metropolitan development and informing management policies of urban growth.

scholarly journals Analysis of Rattleback Chaotic Oscillations

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hanias ◽  
Stavros G. Stavrinides ◽  
Santo Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Chaotic Dynamics ◽  
The Other ◽  
Strange Attractors ◽  
Rotational Behaviour ◽  
Chaotic Oscillations ◽  
Kinematic Behaviour ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Related Time Series

Rattleback is a canoe-shaped object, already known from ancient times, exhibiting a nontrivial rotational behaviour. Although its shape looks symmetric, its kinematic behaviour seems to be asymmetric. When spun in one direction it normally rotates, but when it is spun in the other direction it stops rotating and oscillates until it finally starts rotating in the other direction. It has already been reported that those oscillations demonstrate chaotic characteristics. In this paper, rattleback’s chaotic dynamics are studied by applying Kane’s model for different sets of (experimentally decided) parameters, which correspond to three different experimental prototypes made of wax, gypsum, and lead-solder. The emerging chaotic behaviour in all three cases has been studied and evaluated by the related time-series analysis and the calculation of the strange attractors’ invariant parameters.

Growth patterns of the ladybird (Harmonia axyridis Pallas) relative to variations in population genetics

1995 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Kuang ◽  
N. N. Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ladybird Beetle ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis Pallas

AbstractDifferences in population growth among four variation types of the ladybird beetle, Harmonia axyridis Pallas, namely succinea, conspicua, spectabilis and aulica, were investigated using various growth parameters. The variation types showed three growth patterns from the intrinsic growth rates (rm), with rates of 0.093–0.099 (for conspicua and aulica), 0.073 (for succinea) and 0.040 (for spectabilis). The growth rates of these patterns were realised in different ways. Spectabilis differed from the other three types in the age and per cent distribution of the specific period to the rm values.

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