American Religion: Contemporary Trends - Hardcover

Chaves, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691146853 ISBN 13: 9780691146850

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2011

Synopsis

Most Americans say they believe in God, and more than a third say they attend religious services every week. Yet studies show that people do not really go to church as often as they claim, and it is not always clear what they mean when they tell pollsters they believe in God or pray. American Religion presents the best and most up-to-date information about religious trends in the United States, in a succinct and accessible manner. This sourcebook provides essential information about key developments in American religion since 1972, and is the first major resource of its kind to appear in more than two decades. Mark Chaves looks at trends in diversity, belief, involvement, congregational life, leadership, liberal Protestant decline, and polarization. He draws on two important surveys: the General Social Survey, an ongoing survey of Americans' changing attitudes and behaviors, begun in 1972; and the National Congregations Study, a survey of American religious congregations across the religious spectrum. Chaves finds that American religious life has seen much continuity in recent decades, but also much change. He challenges the popular notion that religion is witnessing a resurgence in the United States--in fact, traditional belief and practice is either stable or declining. Chaves examines why the decline in liberal Protestant denominations has been accompanied by the spread of liberal Protestant attitudes about religious and social tolerance, how confidence in religious institutions has declined more than confidence in secular institutions, and a host of other crucial trends.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"An invaluable contribution to clarifying the facts about religious change in America."--Robert Putnam, coauthor of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us

"American Religion promises to become the book of record for people interested in religious trends in American society. The U.S. Census does not include questions on religion. So while many other aspects of American economy and society get decennial descriptives, religion is left to advocates, activists, and scholars. Chaves fills the gap with numbers, and context enough for the general reader to digest."--Michael Hout, coauthor of Century of Difference: How America Changed in the Last One Hundred Years

"This book provides key facts so that those who wish to discuss or debate American religion can do so knowledgeably. It covers a rich amount of material, showing the many ways religion in the United States is remarkably unchanged over the past forty years, and the important ways it has changed. Mark Chaves is one of the very top scholars of American religion."--Michael O. Emerson, coauthor of People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States

About the Author:

Mark Chaves is professor of sociology, religion, and divinity at Duke University. He is the author of Congregations in America and Ordaining Women: Culture and Conflict in Religious Organizations.

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0691146853
• ISBN 13: 9780691146850
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160