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Beliefs & Practices

Examination of religious beliefs and practices provides insight into religion’s influence on individuals and communities worldwide. Explore Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—about religious beliefs and practices:

 

Belief in God Importance of Religion Other Beliefs & Practices
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ANALYSIS December 17, 2009
Little Support for Terrorism Among Muslim Americans
Recent events such as the Fort Hood shootings and the arrest of five Muslim American students in Pakistan have raised questions about the threat of homegrown terrorism in the U.S.  
EVENT TRANSCRIPT December 17, 2009
Global Restrictions on Religion
More than half a century ago, the United Nations affirmed the principle of religious freedom in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, defining it as "the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion."
EVENT TRANSCRIPT November 13, 2009
The Future of Evangelicals: A Conversation with Pastor Rick Warren
The evangelical Christian movement historically has been defined by its members' distinctive doctrinal standards and practices. Yet in recent years many Americans have come to understand evangelicals more by their political, rather than religious, identity. 
ANALYSIS December 11, 2008
Being Good for Goodness' Sake?
A 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project found that a majority of Americans say it is necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values.
INTERVIEW October 16, 2008
Ten Years of Promoting Religious Freedom Through U.S. Foreign Policy
Oct. 27 marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the International Religious Freedom Act, a law that made the promotion of religious freedom a basic aim of U.S. foreign policy.
ANALYSIS May 1, 2008
Religion in China on the Eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
According to a 2006 survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, 31% of the Chinese public considers religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives, compared with only 11% who say religion is not at all important.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT December 4, 2006
Religion in a Globalizing World
Some of the nation's leading journalists and distinguished scholars gathered in Key West, Fla., in December 2006 for the Pew Forum's biannual Faith Angle Conference on religion, politics and public life. Peter Berger, professor emeritus of religio...
EVENT TRANSCRIPT October 5, 2006
Spirit and Power Press Conference
The Pew Forum held a telephone news conference with reporters across the country to discuss key findings from a new international poll, Spirit and Power: A 10-Country Survey of Pentecostals.
POLL October 5, 2006
Spirit and Power
Pentecostalism and related charismatic movements represent one of the fastest-growing segments of global Christianity. Even more than other Christians, Pentecostals and other renewalists believe that God, acting through the Holy Spirit, continues to play a direct, active role in everyday life.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT September 26, 2006
God's Country? Evangelicals and U.S. Foreign Policy
In his recent article in Foreign Affairs, Walter Russell Mead argues that as U.S. evangelicals exert increasing political influence, they are becoming a powerful force in foreign affairs. In recent years, evangelicals have voted overwhelmingly Rep...
INTERVIEW July 18, 2006
Timothy Samuel Shah Explains 'Why God is Winning'
Tim Shah explains "Why God is Winning" after religion was supposed to fade away as globalization and freedom spread. Instead, it is booming, and often deciding who gets elected.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT May 22, 2006
How and Why Muhammad Made a Difference
World renowned expert on the history of Islam examines the life of Muhammad and how it shaped the history of the Muslim world.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT May 8, 2006
Is There a Global Resurgence of Religion?
The World Values Survey indicates religion is not dying but it is changing.
INTERVIEW May 5, 2006
Anti-Semitism and Anti-Americanism
In his new book, Überpower: The Imperial Temptation of America, Josef Joffe offers an analysis of the danger and burden of America's standing as a singular global power. He also investigates the similarities between classical anti-Semitism an...
EVENT TRANSCRIPT April 24, 2006
Moved by the Spirit: Pentecostal Power & Politics after 100 Years
April 2006 marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, an event that is often cited as the birth of modern pentecostalism. Since then, pentecostalism has emerged as one of the fastest-growing Christian movements in the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the "global South," which comprises the nations of Africa, Central and Latin America and most of Asia, where pentecostalism is reshaping the religious, political and economic landscapes
INTERVIEW April 12, 2006
The New Face of Global Christianity: The Emergence of 'Progressive Pentecostalism'
The Pew Forum interviewed Dr. Donald Miller of the University of Southern California in conjunction with a roundtable on pentecostalism it co-sponsored with the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles, Calif. Dr. Miller discussed th...
EVENT TRANSCRIPT May 23, 2005
Myths of the Modern Megachurch
Some of the nation's leading journalists gathered in Key West, Florida, in May 2005 for the Pew Forum's biannual Faith Angle conference on religion, politics and public life. Conference speaker Rick Warren, pastor of the largest church in America,...