The Role of Social Capital Theory in the Development of Effective Religious Volunteerism

This study considers the impact of church involvement on social capital (SC) levels, and the impact of these levels on church volunteerism. SC theory suggests that relationships are established with a purpose in mind and that the aim of the individual is to use these relationships in a beneficial way. This theory drives the research hypotheses and findings of the study. It is hypothesized that church involvement has a positive correlation with higher levels of SC, and that SC has a positive correlation with volunteerism. SC, therefore, is seen as a mediating variable linking increased church involvement with increased volunteerism