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

All

Religion

Publications

transcriptJun 12, 2001

Good News From the Supreme Court? Perspectives on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Good News Club v. Milford Central School

Washington, D.C. Discussants: Thomas Marcelle, Attorney for the Petitioners, Good News Club Elliot Mincberg, Vice President, People for the American Way Foundation Steven Sheinberg, Assistant Director, Legal Affairs, Anti-Defamation League K. Hollyn Hollman, General Counsel, Baptist Joint Committee Moderated by: Melissa Rogers, Executive Director, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life MS. MELISSA ROGERS: Good […]
transcriptJun 12, 2001

Moral Freedom: The Search for Virtue in a World of Choice

Washington, D.C. Panelists include: Alan Wolfe, author, Professor of political science and Director, Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston College Wendy Kaminer, Affiliated Scholar, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and columnist, The American Prospect Peggy Steinfels,Editor, Commonweal and Co-director, American Catholics in the Public Square project Terry Teachout, contributor […]
transcriptJun 5, 2001

Religious Reflections on the Death Penalty

Washington, D.C. Discussants: John Carr, Secretary, Department of Social Development and World Peace, US Catholic Conference Nathan Diament, Director of Public Policy, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Barrett Duke, Vice President of Research, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention Rev. Joseph Lowery, Chairman, Black Leadership Forum and Co-founder, President Emeritus, Southern […]
transcriptMay 9, 2001

Charity Tax Credits: Federal Policy and Three Leading States

Washington, D.C. Charity Tax Credits: Federal Policy and Three Leading States, paper presented by Margy Waller, Former White House Senior Advisor for Welfare and Working Families Discussants: Mark Anderson, Arizona State Representative (R) Robert Boisture, Counsel, Independent Sector, and Member, Caplin & Drysdale Sharon Daly, Vice President for Social Policy, Catholic Charities USA Michael J. […]
transcriptMay 3, 2001

Human Cloning: Religious Perspectives

Washington, D.C. Discussants: Robert Best, President, Culture of Life Foundation, Inc. Dr. Nigel Cameron, Dean, The Wilberforce Forum, and Chair, Advisory Board for the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity Abdulaziz Sachedina, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia Rabbi Moses D. Tendler, Rabbi Isaac and Bella Tendler Professor of Jewish Medical Ethics and Professor […]
reportApr 10, 2001

Faith-Based Funding Backed, But Church-State Doubts Abound

Introduction and Summary As religion plays a more prominent role in public life, sharp divisions of opinion about the mixing of church and state are apparent. Most notably, while the public expresses strong support for the idea of faith-based groups receiving government funding to provide social services, in practice, it has many reservations. Most Americans […]
transcriptApr 10, 2001

Faith-Based Funding: Broad Support, Profound Questions

Washington, D.C. Data presented by: Andrew Kohut, Director, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press Discussants: Sulayman Nyang, Professor of African Studies, Howard University and Director, Muslims in American Public Square project Melissa Rogers, Executive Director, The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Marshall Wittman, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute Alan Wolfe, Professor […]
transcriptMar 14, 2001

Sacred Places, Civic Purposes: Child Care Conference

Washington, D.C. E.J. DIONNE, JR., MODERATOR: Welcome everyone. We have an incredibly impressive audience. I don’t know if you’ve seen the list. Not only put together a good panel, but many of you folks in the audience know more about this field than I do and lots of other people in our country. And I’m […]
transcriptJan 30, 2001

From Promise to Policy: A Discussion of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

National Press Club Washington, D.C. Discussants: John DiIulio, White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Richard Foltin, American Jewish Committee Senator Rick Santorum,(R-PA) Representative Bobby Scott, (D-VA) Jim Wallis, Call to Renewal Moderated by: E.J. Dionne, Jr., Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution and Co-Chair, The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life See press […]
transcriptJan 10, 2001

For Goodness’ Sake: Why So Many Want Religion to Play a Greater Role in American Life

Washington, D.C. Data presented by: Deborah Wadsworth, President, Public Agenda Steve Farkas, Director of Research and Senior Vice President, Public Agenda Respondents: Andrew Kohut, Director, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press Rev. Eugene F. Rivers, 3d, Co-Chair, National TenPoint Leadership Foundation Michael J. Sandel, Professor of Government, Harvard University Matthew Spalding, Director, […]

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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.