pewforum.org Topics Religious Affiliation

Christian

Explore Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—about the Christian religion and its members, as well as many of the religious groups that it encompasses: evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants, members of historically black Protestant churches, Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Orthodox Christians and other Christians.

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Global Christianity
A comprehensive demographic study finds that there are 2.18 billion Christians of all ages around the world, representing nearly a third of the estimated 2010 global population of 6.9 billion. Christians are also geographically widespread, and no single region can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity.
McCain's Lead Among Evangelicals Smaller than Bush's in '04
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has a smaller lead among white evangelical Protestants than Republican George W. Bush had at a similar point in the 2004 campaign.
Pope Benedict's Image Improves Following U.S. Visit
Following his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the world's Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI is viewed more favorably than he was a few weeks before his trip. Currently, 61% of Americans say they have a favorable impression of the pope, up from 52% in late March.
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.
On Eve of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans
Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is virtually unchanged from August 2007 (50%).
Science in America: Religious Belief and Public Attitudes
The combination of widespread religious commitment and leadership in science and technology greatly enlarges the potential for conflict between faith and science in the United States.
How the Public Perceives Romney, Mormons
Recent polling from the Pew Research Center finds that Romney, more than any other presidential candidate (Republican or Democrat), is viewed as very religious by the public.
Religious Groups' Presidential Candidate Preferences
As the races for the 2008 presidential nominations heat up, two recent surveys make it possible to examine how the candidates in both political parties are faring among a variety of religious groups.
Public Expresses Mixed Views of Islam, Mormonism
The Muslim and Mormon religions have gained increasing national visibility in recent years. Yet most Americans say they know little or nothing about either religion's practices, and large majorities say that their own religion is very different from Islam and the Mormon religion.
Clinton and Giuliani Seen as Not Highly Religious; Romney's Religion Raises Concerns
So far religion is not proving to be a clear-cut positive in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Religion and the Presidential Vote: A Tale of Two Gaps
For the presidential candidates and the pundits who write about them, one concern in the 2008 campaign is the "religion gap" - shorthand for the religious differences between Republican and Democratic voters.
How Muslims Compare With Other Religious Americans
Although Muslims constitute a small minority in the United States, and their holy book and many of their religious rituals are distinctly their own, Muslim Americans are by no means "the other" when it comes to religious life or politics in the United States.
Potential Support for Presidential Candidates among Religious Groups
Analysis of a June survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reveals how potential support for the presidential candidates varies among some religious groups.
Public Views of Presidential Politics and Mormon Faith
Surveys by the Pew Research Center and other national polling organizations show strong public misgivings about the religion as well as about any presidential candidate who also belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Changing Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion
Hispanics are transforming the nation's religious landscape, especially the Catholic Church, not only because of their growing numbers but also because they are practicing a distinctive form of Christianity.
Presidential Preferences of White Non-Hispanic Catholics
Key Swing Vote in Recent Elections April 3, 2007 by John Green, Senior Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life White non-Hispanic Catholics have become a key swing vote in recent national elections. According to the 2004 exit polls, 56% of...
Giuliani Leads Among White Mainline Protestant Republicans; Four Have Double-Digit Support Among Mainline Democrats
April 3, 2007 by John Green, Senior Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life White mainline Protestants have been divided politically in recent national elections. According to the 2004 exit polls, 55% of this group voted for George W. Bush...
Giuliani, McCain Lead Among Evangelical Republicans
23% Still Undecided April 2, 2007 by John Green, Senior Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life One of the largest religious groups in the U.S., representing about one-fifth of the electorate, white evangelicals are a strong Republican con...
Religion and the 2006 Elections
Exit polls show that the religious divide that has come to characterize American politics persisted in the 2006 election; white evangelicals and those who attend church frequently continued to support Republicans by large margins, while secular vo...
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.
Prospects for Inter-Religious Understanding
Will Views Toward Muslims and Islam Follow Historical Trends? Download this analysis (164K .pdf) Although tolerance is an American ideal and freedom of religion is enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, American history has oft...
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