U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

 Children making their own choices:
http://www.vox.com/2014/4/28/5659984/only-30-percent-of-kids-raised-as-atheists-stay-that-way-as-adults

 The 2008 Religious Landscape survey  (full doc, 210 pages): http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf

Introduction:

About the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
 
This report was produced by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The Forum delivers timely,
impartial information on issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. The Forum is a
nonpartisan organization and does not take positions on policy debates. Based in Washington,
D.C., the Forum is a project of the Pew Research Center, which is funded by the Pew Charitable
Trusts.
 
This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals:
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Luis Lugo, Director
Sandra Stencel, Deputy Director
John Green, Senior Fellow in Religion and American Politics
Gregory Smith, Research Fellow
Dan Cox and Allison Pond, Research Associates
Tracy Miller, Editor
Elizabeth Podrebarac and Michelle Ralston, Research Assistants
Pew Research Center
Andrew Kohut, President
Paul Taylor, Executive Vice President
Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research
Visit religions.pewforum.org for the online presentation of the findings of the Landscape Survey.
Pew Forum Web Publishing and Communications
Mark O’Keefe, Oliver Read and Chris Ingraham, Web Publishing
Erin O’Connell, Robbie Mills and Liga Plaveniece, Communications
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
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Washington, D.C. 20036-5610
Phone (202) 419-4550
Fax (202) 419-4559
www.pewforum.org
© 2008 Pew Research Center
 
U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
 
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................1
Summary of Key Findings .............................................................................................................5
Chapter 1: The Religious Composition of the United States ...................................................... 10
Chapter 2: Changes in Americans’ Religious Affiliation ..............................................................22
Chapter 3: Religious Affiliation and Demographic Groups ..........................................................36
Appendix 1: Detailed Data Tables ...............................................................................................72
Appendix 2: Classification of Protestant Denominations .......................................................... 101
Appendix 3: A Brief History of Religion and the U.S. Census ................................................... 108
Appendix 4: Survey Methodology .............................................................................................113
Topline ......................................................................................................................................119Introduction
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

 
Introduction
 
From the beginning of the Colonial period, religion has been a major factor in shaping the identity
and values of the American people. Despite predictions that the United States would follow
Europe’s path toward widespread secularization, the U.S. population remains highly religious in
its beliefs and practices, and religion continues to play a prominent role in American public life.
In recent decades, much high-quality research has been done on the religious makeup of the
United States and on the way religion relates to politics and public life. Nevertheless, there are
still major gaps in our knowledge of the American religious landscape. For instance, estimates of
the size of religious communities in the U.S. – especially the smaller groups – are often contested,
basic information on the religious beliefs and practices of many groups is lacking and there is little
solid data on the demographic characteristics of many of America’s newer faiths. The increasing
diversity of the American religious landscape, the remarkable dynamism of its faith communities
and the pervasive presence of religion in the American public square all serve to underscore the
pressing need for up-to-date, reliable information on these and other questions.
Building on our own work as well as others’ previous research, the Pew Forum on Religion &
Public Life has conducted a pathbreaking survey on American religion that seeks to address many
of these important issues. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey includes reliable estimates of the
size of religious groups in the United States as well as detailed information on their demographic
characteristics, religious beliefs and practices, and basic social and political values. Based on
interviews with a representative sample of more than 35,000 Americans, this study will serve as
the baseline for similar large-scale surveys the Forum plans to conduct periodically.