01: Because church leaders and laity come out of atypically large churches they are often unprepared for ministry in the more common small congregations that dot the U.S. The National Congregations Study (NCS), one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, finds that although most congregations are small, most people go to large congregations. The […]

Although there is a lack of hard data, preliminary surveys and other figures suggest that the Catholic Church has a disproportionate number of clergy sex abuse cases. Observers have claimed that the scourge of clergy sexual abuse is present in all denominations. But the Boston Globe (March 13) reports that the Catholic Church has been “hit with […]

01: While the membership figures in Eastern Orthodox churches in the U.S. have long been considered inflated, a new study suggests the overestimates are greater than expected. The study, authored by Alexi Krindatch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the Religious Congregations project at Hartford Seminary, finds that the actual membership figure for Orthodox […]

01: Although anti-gambling initiatives by religious groups have met with few recent successes in the U.S., attitudes against gambling are strongly associated with other social positions that are influenced by religion. In the Public Perspective (January/February), the journal of the Roper Center of Public Opinion and Polling, John M. Benson and other researchers analyze recent surveys and […]

01: Most American Muslims agree that undemocratic regimes in the Islamic world should receive reduced American support, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by Zogby International, polled 1,781 adults who identified themselves as Muslims; 10 percent of those polled were not U.S. citizens. Sixty one percent agreed on cutting aid to undemocratic Islamic countries, […]

01: The small congregation is receiving new attention, judging by a spate of new studies suggesting that the size of churches may have little to do with their vitality. In the current issue of Visions, (May/June) a newsletter of religion and demographics, Anthony Healy writes that research such as the new Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey […]

01: Far from being a substitute for institutional religion or an incubator of new religions,  religious involvement on the internet is a supplement to many believers’ already-strong church involvement, according to a Ball State University study. At the recent conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR), sociologists George Saunders and Joseph Tamney presented […]

01: Although the inflicting pain on oneself for spiritual purposes has decreased around the world, those who engage in the practice report a complex interplay between self-control, neurology and spirituality that accounts for its effects, says a recent study. The study, conducted by Georgetown University professor Ariel Glucklich for his book Sacred Pain: Hurting The Body for […]

01: American Catholics are more likely than other Americans to be wired to the Internet, according to a survey by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). America magazine (Aug. 27-Sept. 3) cites the study as showing that 64 percent of U.S. Catholics have Internet access while 56 percent of all Americans are connected. Younger […]

01: Silicon Valley and other hi-tech centers are showing a  loss of community life and religious participation, according to a recent study by political scientist Robert Putnam. American Enterprise magazine (July/August) reports that Putnam’s Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey confirms that Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Boston, Phoenix and other “tech meccas” show weak social and interpersonal connections. On […]