Pew Research: The Religious Typology

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

This is a really helpful study Pew has done. It is work a close read. Here is what Bright (and atheist group) writes about it.

@Patrick

>> Pew presents its fresh typology of religion

Numerous organizations query Americans about religion and belief, but few surveys command greater attention or merit more public confidence than the Pew Research Center’s. Hence, its August 29 report of a new approach to the topic will be of likely interest to many Brights.

At BC, we have grown accustomed to Pew’s delving into religion in the U.S. and how it typically sorts Americans into conventional categories by religious affiliation (or lack of affiliation). But by looking at religion rather differently, it offers an alternative way to understand and evaluate American religious experience.

The new analysis sorts Americans into seven groups based on “…their religious and spiritual beliefs and practices, the value they place on their religion, and the sources of meaning and fulfillment in their lives .” This “typology” thereby cuts across denominations, identifying both what unites across boundaries of different denominations as well as what divides people within the same religious tradition.

Other than the distinctive characteristics of the seven groupings, the findings point to a low level of religious engagement among many who consider themselves religious, widespread New Age type beliefs (even among those who are religious in traditional ways), and expose many and varied ways that people find meaning and personal fulfillment in their lives.

Related: About the New Typology

Related: The Challenges of Creating a New Typology

Related: How the Religious Typology Groups Compare

Related: Quiz: Find Out where you fit in the new typology