01: Americans are as much divided by class as race when it comes to church attendance, according to a recent analysis featured in Re:Generation Quarterly (Vol. 7, No. 1). In analyzing recent General Social Surveys, Joy Borkholder finds that as Americans move up the income brackets, both blacks and whites  are more likely to attend church with the other […]

01: Latinos are continuing their movement out of the  Catholic Church for Protestant denominations and other religions, though they tend to retain a “Catholic ethos” on moral issues, according to a new survey. The 3-year survey of 2,300 Latinos, conducted by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, finds that Only 18 percent of first-generation Latinos identify themselves as […]

01: While there has been wide public support for government funded faith-based social services, approval for such programs drops significantly when the groups administering such services are out of the Jewish-Christian orbit, according to a recent poll. The poll of 2,041, the most extensive yet to measure support for President Bush’s initiative to support faith groups […]

01: A survey of 3,000 people in 40 communities across the U.S. finds that those who are active in religious life are more likely to know and trust other people, and socialize with friends and neighbors. Americans are also more likely to trust people at their church or synagogue than at their workplace or in their […]

01: Spiritual and practical living concerns outweigh social activism for the overwhelming majority of black pastors and congregations, according to Gallup polls. The Gallup religion newsletter Emerging Trends (December/January) reports on polls conducted among nearly 2,000 African-American pastors and lay leaders, finding they report a strong spiritual emphasis in their congregations. More than eight out of 10 pastors […]

01: There is a growing openness toward religious perspectives on campuses today, whether church-related or secular, according to a recently completed 10-year study by the Lilly Endowment. The study, which surveyed faculty and staff about their perceptions of religion on campus, found that 60 percent report a new openness toward religion, with 58 percent saying there […]

01: The new attention focused on exorcism by churches, as well as the re-release of the film The Exorcist, may well  convince people that they have been involved in or have witnessed these rituals, according to a study reported in the Skeptical Inquirer (January/February). The research, conducted by University of Washington psychologist Elizabeth Loftus and Giuliana Mazzoni of Seton […]

01: There appears to be mounting evidence that some religious attitudes and beliefs can prolong or bring on rather than heal illness. A recent study found that spiritual alienation and an emphasis on evil and the devil can increase the risk of death. The study, conducted by Kenneth Pargament and Harold Koenig, followed 595 men and […]

01: What is undisputed is that the actual number of Roman Catholic priests is declining. The ratio of Catholics per priest has risen from 652 to 1 in 1950 to 1,257 to 1 in the year 2000. The question in the American Catholic Church is whether this decline represents a priest shortage or not. The answer, according […]

01: A sense of spirituality is almost universal among children, but subsequent feelings of embarrassment over such matters may be the main reason why people appear to lose their faith as they grow older, according to a recent British study. David Hay discusses his recent research on children’s’ spirituality with Science & Spirit magazine (July-August), noting that he […]