Catholic Schools And Weekly Mass Aren’t Solving The Retention Crisis

(ANALYSIS) The Association of Religion Data Archives is awesome for a project like this because I can quickly find the datasets that I need to answer this question from multiple angles. I am going to use two different sources — the General Social Survey, which allows me to trace the contours of American religion all the way back to the early 1970s, and the Pew Religious Landscape Survey, which permits me to do a really deep dive on the state of Catholic retention in the last couple of years.

What Can We Learn From The 100 Largest United Methodist Churches?

(ANALYSIS) Whenever you think about the very largest churches in the United States, what denominations come to mind? I think that most of you, if you’ve been following along with this newsletter for any amount of time, would think of non-denominationalism. Maybe a Southern Baptist church. And the data says that this is largely the case.

Pastors Are Preaching Longer — With Churchgoer Support

More pastors are preaching longer sermons, and most churchgoers are OK with it. In fact, a small but growing number would prefer even more each week. A Lifeway Research study of Protestant pastors and churchgoers finds little disagreement between the pulpit and the pews over sermon length, even as pastors stretch out their weekly messages.

Christianity, Data, News, North America, protestants, Religion ResearchAaron EarlsOctober 6, 2026Aaron Earls, news, pastors, Christianity, Secondary feature, sermons, dataComment

Why Do American Protestants Own So Many Bibles?

(ANALYSIS) The Bible was such an integral part of my upbringing that it’s hard to describe. We did Bible quizzing drills and scripture verse memorization. By the time I got my driver’s license, I had a pretty good grasp on the meta-narrative laid out in the 66 books that make up the Old and New Testaments. I had Bibles from all kinds of translations, too.

Why Do Educated People Attend Church More?

ANALYSIS) What do we do with the time that we have? That’s one of the most important questions we face, in my estimation. It’s certainly something I struggle with on a day-to-day basis. I have a really hard time taking a vacation that lasts more than four or five days because I feel a deep sense of guilt that I’m not doing enough with my life.

Analysis, Christianity, Data, Education, North America, News, Religion, Religion News, SocietyRyan BurgeSeptember 24, 2026Ryan Burge, analysis, church attendance, education, religion, news, dataComment

Why We Don’t Really Know What America Believes

(ANALYSIS) Let me start by stating a fact that seems incomprehensible to even type out, but it undergirds almost every single graph that I produce: We don’t actually know the religious composition of the United States with any real precision. I know that sounds bizarre. The truth is that we are relying on a whole bunch of “best guesses” based on sound methodology and replication.

3 Things You’re Getting Wrong About Religion Data

(ANALYSIS) Instead of just focusing on a single question and making a bunch of graphs that try to figure out that causal puzzle, I am going to share a few things that I’ve learned after doing this kind of work for the last 10 years.

Analysis, Data, News, North America, Religion, Religion News, Religion ResearchRyan BurgeAugust 1, 2026Ryan Burge, data, religion, analysisComment

What ‘DTF St. Louis’ Reveals About America’s Loneliness Crisis

(OPINION) On the surface, “DTF St. Louis” is a sordid tale presented for voyeuristic yucks or titillation, but it actually offers a serious meditation on the human need for meaning.

The Real Reason Why Americans Aren’t Getting Married

(ANALYSIS) The secular world has engineered a brilliant liturgy of despair and its high priests come with PhDs in economics. You’re no doubt familiar with the prevailing narrative, as familiar as it is depressing. Marriage has become a luxury product, crushed by stagnant wages, soaring living costs and, in many places, a housing market where buying your first home is impossible.

Political Identity Drove Americans Away From Christianity — And Why It’s No Longer True

(ANALYSIS) The share of Americans who indicate that their current religious tradition is the one in which they were raised is 66%. Most people living in the United States will die with the same faith into which they were born, and that’s been true for decades. But how people switch and why they switch may be changing.

Is The Archdiocese Of Detroit Built For A Church That No Longer Exists?

(ANALYSIS) Sometimes the doom scrolling really does pay off. I hate to admit it, but flicking through thousands of social media posts a week is a way that I can find interesting stories to write about for Graphs about Religion.

What The World Values Survey Reveals About Global Belief In God

(ANALYSIS) When I was in graduate school our program required each student to have two majors and a minor field. I knew one of my major fields was going to be American politics — that was an easy choice. I was also made aware that it was easier to get a job teaching public administration than traditional political science because the positions were relatively plentiful and the number of grad students with training in PA were low, so I picked that up as a second major.

Analysis, Data, News, Religion, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, North America, South AmericaRyan BurgeJune 27, 2026Ryan Burge, analysis, religion, dataComment

‘Show Us!’: The Myth Of The ‘Real Catholic’ Voter

(ANALYSIS) In the data from 2024, 57% of white evangelicals were weekly attenders compared to 25% of white Catholics. So not controlling for attendance gives us a much different sample when analyzing evangelicals and Catholics.

Spiritual Matters Missing From Many Churchgoers’ Conversations

While some Americans show up to church on Sunday morning, those in their lives Monday through Saturday may never hear about it. Lifeway Research’s State of Discipleship revealed many U.S. Protestant churchgoers don’t see their faith as pervasive throughout their lives and aren’t concerned if others know about it.

Christianity, Data, News, North AmericaAaron EarlsMay 20, 2026Aaron Earls, news, Christianity, church, Secondary feature, dataComment

Churchgoers Look To Join Others In Their Discipleship Walk

U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they’ve established several friendships with others in their church and are trying to use those relationships to grow their faith. Building relationships is one of eight areas that measure characteristics evident in believers who are progressing in spiritual maturity.

What Do The Nonreligious Really Think About Religion?

(ANALYSIS) Using limited existing data, a new large survey examines how nonreligious Americans view religion, exploring whether they feel hostility toward it and what factors shape attitudes.

Analysis, North America, Religion, Society, DataRyan BurgeMay 2, 2026Ryan Burge, news, analysis, data, religion, nonesComment

Looking For A Gen Z Revival? Maybe Check Bookstores And Movie Theatres.

(ANALYSIS) Gen Z is driving a renewed interest in in-person life — from bookstores to churches — as a response to digital isolation. But this revival is fragmented, fueled by online subcultures and personal choice. While community is returning, it’s splintered into niche groups, creating connection within silos rather than a shared cultural or social life.

How White Christianity Shifted From New Deal Democrats To The GOP

(ANALYSIS) One of the central stories of that work is that white Christianity has become noticeably more conservative. That’s not just the case in white evangelicalism (which most people know about), but it’s also true among white Catholics. It has become increasingly the case that to be white and Christian is to support the Republican Party.

Analysis, Christianity, North America, Politics, DataRyan BurgeApril 27, 2026Ryan Burge, religion and politics, Christianity, Trump, Democrats, Republicans, analysis, dataComment

US Churches Rebound Unevenly After Pandemic Disruption

Five years after the pandemic upended life across the United States, a new national study shows that many churches are stabilizing — and in some cases rebounding — even as many challenges persist. In a report by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, which surveyed more than 80 denominations, found that most have either maintained or increased their level of engagement.

Christian Radio Remains Widespread Despite Streaming Boom

A new report from the Pew Research Center found that religious radio stations remain ubiquitous — with 98% of U.S. adults living within the local coverage area of at least one of them. The report found that an “overwhelming majority” of those stations are Christian. Despite the rise of digital media, 45% of U.S. adults say they’ve listened to religious programming on the radio.

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