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Thursday, September 7th, 2017

America’s Changing Religious Identity

Author:     Daniel Cox, Ph.D., Robert P. Jones, Ph.D.
Source:     PRRI
Publication Date:     09.06.2017
 Link: America’s Changing Religious Identity
Stephan:   Religion is, and always has been a major aspect of American culture. Several states were specifically founded because of  religion and a particular religion at that. If pressed to guess I would suspect a majority of my readers define themselves as "spiritual but not religious," and therefore are not inclined to long discussions about religious adherence. However, in much of the United States it is quite otherwise. Which church you belong to defines your social set, and much else in your life. Where you take your car to be repaired. Which market you go to. It is a very pervasive trend, and a major aspect of American culture. It is also a trend undergoing massive change, which is part of the reason the Christofascists are in such a state of turmoil and fear. In my view, this change, this diminution, is what is behind things like the Nashville Statement. It is what is driving much of our White identitarian politics. Here is a good look at the country's new profile.
                               I. Executive Summary

The American religious landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation. White Christians, once the dominant religious group in the U.S., now account for fewer than half of all adults living in the country. Today, fewer than half of all states are majority white Christian. As recently as 2007, 39 states had majority white Christian populations.  (emphasis added) These are two of the major findings from this report, which is based on findings from PRRI’s 2016 American Values Atlas, the single largest survey of American religious and denominational identity ever conducted. This landmark report is based on a sample of more than 101,000 Americans from all 50 states and includes detailed information about their religious affiliation, denominational ties, political affiliation, and other important demographic attributes.

Among the major findings:

  1. White Christians now account for fewer than half of the public. Today, only 43% of Americans identify as white and Christian, and only 30% as white and Protestant. In 1976, roughly eight in ten […]
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