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I'm trying to build on Stark & Finke (2000) for my thesis on the schisms in the Worldwide Church of God -- why people choose one of the 325+ offshoots over another, or start yet another. Currently looking at the balance between social & spiritual capital. Maybe we can talk... I gather from listengin to this listserv for some time now that the "rational choice" approach to religion, which is a big deal here, is not a large part of the British conversation. This approach, centering on the work of Rodney Stark and Roger Finke, emphasizes that religious institutions are in a competitive market with one another, and people choose them on the basis of a rational choice about which institution best serves their religious needs. [snip] My own research adapts this approach to look at theological competition within (rather than between) religious organizations.