PERSPECTIVES: Pew Survey on Religion in the U.S.
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released a comprehensive new survey this week (February 25) looking at America's religious landscape. The study confirmed a widespread fluidity among faith traditions, with nearly half of all Americans either switching out of the denomination they grew up in or leaving religion all together. Catholics saw the biggest number of defections, although those numbers were largely offset by a big influx of Catholic immigrants. Sixteen percent of Americans were unaffiliated with any particular faith. That was the fasting growing group in the survey.
Joining me to help interpret some of this is Nancy Ammerman, who teaches sociology of religion at Boston University. Nancy, I know these numbers document a lot of trends you've been studying for years. What does all this religious switching mean?