ABSTRACT
This study confirms the general impression that evangelicals have become more prominent within the power elite over the last 30 years, even though the number of self-identified evangelicals in the United States has not changed dramatically. Evangelicalism is a faith a believer 'owns' himself; most evangelical churches require adherents to make a personal profession of faith, as opposed to simply inheriting the faith from one's parents. It also seems to be a faith that compels leaders to action, and the wider evangelical movement has spurred the ascent and sustained spiritual cohesion among many of them. Evangelicals have acquired and deployed resources to create a social environment that is amenable to network formation. Evangelical institutions have facilitated the rise of networks that bring leaders from different parts of society together. The convening power of evangelicals has been so potent because their religious identity is so salient, even as they have risen in education and socioeconomic status.
