October, 2011
Presbyterian Church Ordains First Openly Gay Pastor
[10.12.2011]The newly re-ordained Rev. Scott Anderson of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) resigned as pastor of his California church in 1990 after telling his congregants that he was gay. More than 20 years later, on Saturday October 8, he was welcomed back into the ministry as the denomination’s first openly gay pastor, several months after the Presbyterian national assembly decided to remove language from the church constitution that required clergy to… more
The Morning Buzz | October 12, 2011
[10.12.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? We know that you’re tired this morning because you’ve been losing sleep over the burning question: if Occupy Wall Street had a theme song, what would it be? Luckily, the New Yorker has some ideas. A new poll shows that… more
Research Note | Mormons and White Evangelicals Might Not Be So Different After All
[10.11.2011]Take a look at our new research note, documenting the political parallels between Mormons and white evangelical Protestants. The findings may be surprising, given recent speculation about whether white evangelicals will support Romney. Nevertheless, it seems likely that if white evangelical voters can see past theological doubts about whether Mormonism is a Christian faith, they will find that they have many political values in common with Mormons. For example: On… more
Evangelicals’ Doubt That Mormonism is a Christian Religion May Not Hurt Romney
[10.11.2011]As Dr. Robert P. Jones predicted in last week’s “Figuring Faith,” this weekend’s annual Values Voter Summit was a testing ground for Mitt Romney, the GOP front-runner and a devout Mormon. While introducing Rick Perry, prominent evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress slammed Romney by asking his audience, “Do we want a candidate who is a good, moral person, or one who is a born-again follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?” For… more
Political Parallels Between Mormons & White Evangelicals
[10.11.2011]Despite the current debate over whether white evangelicals will support a Mormon candidate for President, according to research from PRRI, these two groups share similar political values and beliefs.
The Morning Buzz | October 11, 2011
[10.11.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? There’s yet another presidential debate tonight – for those of you who are puzzled over why there are so many debates happening when the election is over a year away, take a look at this piece from Talking Points Memo. … more
Religion and the Occupy Wall Street Movement
[10.07.2011]The Occupy Wall Street movement has been slowly creeping into the news cycle since it began in New York City in mid-September. As the protests begin to gather steam and spread to other cities, the OWS movement appears to be striking a chord with Americans who are nervous about the struggling economy, and concerned about increasing social inequality. If economic opportunities remain few and government is unable to address… more
The Morning Buzz | October 7, 2011
[10.07.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? And, better yet, it’s apple season! If you’re going apple-picking this weekend and want to make some fancy-schmancy apple concoctions, the New York Times has a recipe for apple tempura in this oh-so-sleek interactive graphic. You make it, then tell… more
Figuring Faith: “Why Pat Robertson’s ‘Endorsement’ of Mitt Romney Matters”
[10.06.2011]This weekend, Mitt Romney will be speaking at the Values Voter Summit, to an audience that likely cares deeply about the religious convictions of their future presidential nominee. Previous research from PRRI has shown that Americans perceive Romney’s religion to be very different from their own, and that many don’t even believe that Mormonism is a Christian religion. How will Romney fare this weekend? I believe that Pat Robertson’s recent declaration… more
New Factsheet on the Alignment of Evangelical and Tea Party Values
[10.06.2011]Many of the GOP primary candidates will be in DC this weekend, but not for a debate (I hear your sigh of relief. There have been a lot of those recently). They’re all speaking at the annual Values Voter Summit, a conservative conference with four major stated goals: to “limit government,” “champion traditional values,” “reduce spending,” and “protect America.” In addition to the seven major GOP candidates, speakers will include… more