Religion

reportApr 12, 2024

Pope Francis arrives at St. Peter's Square to lead his weekly general audience in Vatican City on March 6, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)

Most U.S. Catholics view Francis favorably and say he represents change in the church. Majorities also support allowing Catholics to use birth control and priests to marry.

9 facts about U.S. Catholics

reportApr 2, 2024

reportMar 15, 2024

data essayDec 21, 2022

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Religion

Publications

transcriptJan 25, 2002

The Death Penalty: What’s All the Debate About?

Thank you to all who attended and participated in the “Call for Reckoning” conference on January 25, 2002. Over 500 people from around the country filled the Divinity School’s lecture hall and several overflow rooms to hear the speakers reflect on religion and the death penalty. Provocative questions and profound reflections were offered by attendees […]
transcriptJan 25, 2002

Faith Traditions and the Death Penalty

Thank you to all who attended and participated in the “Call for Reckoning” conference on January 25, 2002. Over 500 people from around the country filled the Divinity School’s lecture hall and several overflow rooms to hear the speakers reflect on religion and the death penalty. Provocative questions and profound reflections were offered by attendees […]
transcriptJan 25, 2002

A Call for Reckoning: Religion and the Death Penalty

University of Chicago Divinity School Chicago, Illinois At a time of heightened controversy surrounding the death penalty, most discourse relies upon the political, philosophical, and legal dimensions of the practice, and its racial and social implications. Quite often in this debate, religious traditions and theological perspectives are not fully explored beyond an occasional reference to […]
reportJan 1, 2002

Holidays Online 2001

Online Holiday shopping grew this season from the previous, though Internet users also increasingly use the Internet during the holiday season to search for information on travel, holiday crafts, recipes and traditions.
reportDec 23, 2001

CyberFaith: How Americans Pursue Religion Online

One in four Internet users has gotten religious or spiritual information online at one point or another. The September 11 terror attacks compelled millions of Internet users to turn to religious issues and concerns online. The most popular online religious activities are solitary ones, such as hunting for general spiritual information online.
transcriptDec 18, 2001

The Role of Religion in Public Life (Washington)

2:00 – 4:30 p.m. National Press Club Washington, D.C. MIKE ARMACOST (President, Brookings Institution): It’s a great pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the Brookings Institution and, of course, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. In recent years a new dialogue has started on what congregations’ proper roles are in lifting up […]
transcriptDec 17, 2001

The Role of Religion in Public Life (New York)

12:00 – 1:30 p.m. New York, New York E.J. DIONNE: I’d like to welcome everyone to this discussion and celebration of our book, Sacred Places, Civic Purposes: Should Government Help Faith-Based Charity? We are blessed to have so many wonderful people with us today at this discussion sponsored by the Brookings Institution and the Pew […]
reportDec 6, 2001

Post September 11 Attitudes

Introduction and Summary The Sept. 11 attacks have increased the prominence of religion in the United States to an extraordinary degree, but not at the expense of acceptance of religious minorities. Fully 78% now say religion’s influence in American life is growing up from 37% eight months ago and the highest mark on this […]
transcriptSep 25, 2001

Keeping the Faith: The Role of Religion and Faith Communities in Preventing Teen Pregnancy

Washington, D.C. Panelists John J. DiIulio, Ph.D., Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Senator Joseph Lieberman (invited) Bill Galston, Ph.D., Chair, National Campaign’s Task Force on Religion and Public Values Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, Ph.D., Co-Director, National Marriage Project Brian Wilcox, Ph.D., Director, Center on Children, Families, and the Law, Univ. of Nebraska […]
transcriptAug 17, 2001

Reinventing Regulation: Religious social service providers and others react to the White House Office on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives’ report

Washington, D.C. Discussants: Gary Bass, OMB Watch Rev. Stephen Burger, International Union of Gospel Missions Bill Faith, Ohio Coalition on Housing and Homelessness Richard Foltin, American Jewish Committee Richard G. Overmoyer, Jr., Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Darren Walker, Abyssinian Development Corporation Moderated by: Melissa Rogers, Executive Director of the Pew Forum on Religion & […]

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Signature Reports

data essayDec 21, 2022

The Global Religious Futures (GRF) project is jointly funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The John Templeton Foundation. Here are some big-picture findings from the GRF, together with context from other Pew Research Center studies.

reportMar 5, 2024

In 2021, government restrictions on religion – laws, policies and actions by state officials that limit religious beliefs and practices – reached a new peak globally. Harassment of religious groups and interference in worship were two of the most common forms of government restrictions worldwide that year.

reportJan 24, 2024

28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.

reportMay 12, 2015

The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the share of Americans who do not identify with any organized religion is growing. These changes affect all regions in the country and many demographic groups.