01: On the hotly debated subject of whether Catholicism among the laity is in serious decline in vitality, numbers, and appeal, new research suggests a more positive reading of the situation. According to an analysis of Fr. Joseph Claude Harris in America magazine (June 3-10), the church’s membership rolls are rising at the rate of the general population […]

01: An optimistic view of human nature and a  sturdy religious faith characterizes many Americans today, according to a New York Times poll. The survey of 1,003 Americans, found few signs of secularization. Forty-nine percent said they were about as religious as their parents, and 21 percent said they were more religious. Yet 75 percent said they […]

01: There is a clear growth of conversions by adults into the Roman Catholic faith, according to church statistics cited in the Boston Globe (April 23). Using data gathered by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the oldest denomination in the Western hemisphere which had witnessed some sharp decline of conversions in recent years, Catholic leaders are […]

01: A new study of  congregations involved in social service shows that such involvement is widespread and targeted more to the unchurched than to members. The study, by the University of Pennsylvania’s Ram Cnaan, is said to be the most extensive of its kind, using a representative sample of clergy and volunteers from 401 Philadelphia congregations […]

01: A study of new religious communities in the Catholic Church shows that orders that focus on evangelism draw the most new recruits, with those centering on prayer and contemplation also drawing  new members. The study, conducted by sociologist Sr. Patricia Wittberg, looked at 157 new communities across the U.S. The CARA Report (Winter), a newsletter on research in […]

01: Although the United Methodist Church is often said to be on the verge of schism on the issue of homosexuality, a new study suggests that the denomination will stay together and that members are liberalizing their views on the subject. The study, entitled Where the Spirit Leads (Abington Press, $15) by sociologist James Wood, surveys leaders and […]

01: Are those Christians who believe in angels, the devil, and a six-day creation  also more likely to accept UFO’s, ESP and astrology? Most research has found no strong link between believers in conservative Christianity and those who accept paranormal phenomena. But in the Skeptical Inquirer magazine (January/February) sociologist Erich Goode argues that these two kinds of  believers have […]

01: Scholars claiming that the church attendance figures of Americans have been inflated  were given a boost by political scientist Robert  Putnam at the recent meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Boston. Putnam, who gained attention for his study, “Bowling Alone,” which found a widespread decline of Americans belonging to voluntary organizations, […]

01: Strong new evangelical churches started by Latin Americans and tailored to immigrants are appearing and growing in the United States, according to recent research. The congregations are led by immigrants from Latin America who view the U.S. as being infected by  “materialist secularism,”  says Uruguayan researcher Jose Gonzales. He finds that more than 1,000 evangelical churches of […]

01: A basic belief in God appears to be present among children regardless of whether they receive religious education or are exposed to religious faith in their environments, according to a study by psychologist Olivera Petrovitch. The Oxford University psychologist studied both Japanese and British children on their views of the origins of natural objects from […]