--- title: "Why we study religion" description: "Quarterly Update A message from Pew Research Center President Michael Dimock · Subscribe ↗ Greetings, and happy summer! You may have noticed that we’ve published some major studies on religion in recent months, from a comprehensive look at religious diversity in India to rich studies on faith among Black and Jewish Americans. This is part of Pew […]" date: "2021-07-29" authors: - name: "Beshay Sakla" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/quarterly-update/why-we-study-religion/" --- # Why we study religion --- July 29, 2021 ## Quarterly Update *A message from Pew Research Center President Michael Dimock* · [**Subscribe ↗**](https://pewresearch.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&id=3e953b9b70) --- Greetings, and happy summer! You may have noticed that we’ve published some major studies on religion in recent months, from a comprehensive look at [religious diversity in India](https://www.pewforum.org/2021/06/29/religion-in-india-tolerance-and-segregation/) to rich studies on faith among [Black](https://www.pewforum.org/2021/02/16/faith-among-black-americans/) and [Jewish](https://www.pewforum.org/2021/05/11/jewish-americans-in-2020/) Americans. This is part of Pew Research Center’s long-standing emphasis on religion research, and I’d like to use this edition of our quarterly newsletter to explain why we invest so much energy on this subject. Our goal as an organization is to study the intersection of major national and global trends with the key characteristics of people’s lives and identities such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, economic standing and education level. We place the same priority on religion because it is often central to personal identity and experience, and religious values frame social change, cohesion and conflict in the United States and around the world. At the same time, perhaps the most striking change in American religion [over the past decade](https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/) has been the rapid rise of [those who do *not* identify with any religion](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/08/why-americas-nones-dont-identify-with-a-religion/). There are no federal or state statistics on religious identity in the U.S., and there haven’t been [since the 1950s](https://www.pewforum.org/2010/01/26/a-brief-history-of-religion-and-the-u-s-census/). Our periodic [Religious Landscape Study](https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/) aims to fill this gap through massive surveys that detail the nation’s religious composition and changing religious dynamics. We explore American religious pluralism, too, through in-depth studies of specific religious communities, including [Mormons](https://www.pewforum.org/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/), [Muslim Americans](https://www.pewforum.org/2017/07/26/findings-from-pew-research-centers-2017-survey-of-us-muslims/), [Jewish Americans](https://www.pewforum.org/2021/05/11/jewish-americans-in-2020/), [White evangelicals](https://www.pewforum.org/2020/03/12/white-evangelicals-see-trump-as-fighting-for-their-beliefs-though-many-have-mixed-feelings-about-his-personal-conduct/) and [Black Americans](https://www.pewforum.org/2021/02/16/faith-among-black-americans/). Our religious studies extend far beyond America’s borders. We also study global faith trends, including the [size](https://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/), [age](https://www.pewforum.org/2018/06/13/the-age-gap-in-religion-around-the-world/) and [gender](https://www.pewforum.org/2016/03/22/the-gender-gap-in-religion-around-the-world/) of various religious groups, as well as their [geographic distribution](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/05/how-do-european-countries-differ-in-religious-commitment/). This has included studies about religion in regions and countries including [sub-Saharan Africa](https://www.pewforum.org/2010/04/15/executive-summary-islam-and-christianity-in-sub-saharan-africa/), [Latin America](https://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/), [Israel](https://www.pewforum.org/2016/03/08/israels-religiously-divided-society/), [Eastern Europe](https://www.pewforum.org/2017/05/10/religious-belief-and-national-belonging-in-central-and-eastern-europe/), [Western Europe](https://www.pewforum.org/2018/05/29/being-christian-in-western-europe/) and, most recently, [India](https://www.pewforum.org/2021/06/29/religion-in-india-tolerance-and-segregation/). Another long-standing component of our religion work is our annual exploration of [religious restrictions and hostilities](https://www.pewforum.org/2020/11/10/in-2018-government-restrictions-on-religion-reach-highest-level-globally-in-more-than-a-decade/) in nearly 200 countries and territories. This work, which began more than a decade ago, has helped us identify regional and country-level patterns in government restrictions on religion and religiously motivated social hostilities. Our global studies of religion would not be possible without the support of our partners at the John Templeton Foundation, the Neubauer Family Foundation and, of course, our primary funder, The Pew Charitable Trusts. Our mission is to generate a foundation of facts that enriches the public dialogue and supports sound decision-making. Religious perspectives and values can shape many areas of decision-making, from federal and state policy to the choices facing individuals. Understanding the role of religion in people’s day-to-day lives, and how this role is changing, is critical to understanding the broader trends shaping our world. My best wishes, **Michael Dimock** President, Pew Research Center - [Key findings about religion in India](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/29/key-findings-about-religion-in-india/) - [Video: How we conducted our survey in India](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz_RJXA7RZM&ab_channel=PewResearchCenter) - [For most of India’s Hindus, religious and national identities are closely linked](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/07/20/for-most-of-indias-hindus-religious-and-national-identities-are-closely-linked/) - [10 key findings about Jewish Americans](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/11/10-key-findings-about-jewish-americans/) - [Interactive: How do you compare with Jewish Americans in 2020?](https://www.pewresearch.org/interactives/interactive-how-do-you-compare-with-jewish-americans-in-2020/) - [U.S. Jews have widely differing views on Israel](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/21/u-s-jews-have-widely-differing-views-on-israel/) - [10 new findings about faith among Black Americans](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/02/16/10-new-findings-about-faith-among-black-americans/) - [Three-quarters of Black Americans say Black churches have helped promote racial equality](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/02/19/three-quarters-of-black-americans-say-black-churches-have-helped-promote-racial-equality/) - [Three-quarters of Black Americans believe in God of the Bible or other holy scripture](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/24/three-quarters-of-black-americans-believe-in-god-of-the-bible-or-other-holy-scripture/)