This week, Pew Research Center released a poll of over 4,000 individuals who had attended a religious service within the past few months. It asked respondents how often clergy had spoken out about various social and political issues. An impressive 64 percent of respondents reported that they had . . . . Continue Reading »
The following is an official response from the Pew Research Center to Robert Wuthnow's article, “In Polls We Trust,” from the August/September issue of First Things. Read Wuthnow's response to Pew here. —Ed. In his essay in your August issue, “In Polls We Trust,” Robert Wuthnow . . . . Continue Reading »
The following is a reply by Robert Wuthnow to the Pew Research Center's official response to his article, “In Polls We Trust,” from the August/September issue of First Things. —Ed. I appreciate Alan Cooperman and Greg Smith taking the time to respond to “In Polls We . . . . Continue Reading »
In the 2002 Brazilian film City of God (Cidade de Deus), the narrator, Rocket, provides the audience with a kind of social taxonomy of the eponymous favela during a street party. There was the “samba crowd,” the “soul crowd,” the gangs and the “religious crowd.” (Comunidade do crença, . . . . Continue Reading »
On a recent train ride, I sat next to a young German woman living in the United States. She was raised by atheists, but had a deep religious longing. She was baptized and tried Christianity. Her experience of Christianity in Germany left her wanting something deeper, and through a friend, became a . . . . Continue Reading »