Ahead of the Trend — October 2024

Ahead of the Trend Newsletter

Each month, Dr. Ryan Burge, associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, publishes two columns highlighting the latest news in religion research utilizing data from the ARDA. We are excited to share these Ahead of the Trend articles with you.

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How Much Is Religion Fading In Other Countries?

There is a lot going on in the world of religion when you compare various countries from around the globe. While data about the religious composition of different countries are intriguing, there are other equally fascinating questions about the role that religion plays in the personal lives of their citizens and their societies holistically.

Of the eighteen countries studied, only seven are more likely to report that religion is “somewhat important” or “very important” to their lives. There’s a nice mix of regional representation here. It’s just not so simple to say that one region of the world is really religious — it very much matters what country we are talking about.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

The General Social Survey periodically asks respondents about their belief in religious miracles. It’s a question that has only been included four times (in 1991, 1998, 2008, and 2018), but the time between responses allows us to see how attitudes on this topic have changed across decades.

In 1991, nearly 75% of respondents probably or definitely believed in miracles, with a majority favoring the definitive position. It’s fair to say that the data collected in the 1990s looks pretty similar to the last two surveys that were fielded in 2008 and 2018.

Previous Ahead of the Trend Articles:

How Does Religion Influence Decisions About Marriage and Family? One area in which religiosity is highly likely to have a measurable impact is marriage and family. This topic can be interpreted through data from the National Survey of Family Growth that asks more than 10,000 respondents questions on marriage, family, and religion.

Who Hasn’t Heard About Christian Nationalism? There’s not a more discussed concept in American religion and politics right now than Christian Nationalism, especially on social media. But is this concepts that has jumped into the larger discourse?

The Association of Religion Data Archives | Website