Figuring Faith

Dr. Robert P. Jones is a member of the Washington Post’s On Faith blogging network, an independent network of experts and activists providing commentary and analysis of religion. At his blog, Figuring Faith, Dr. Jones analyzes findings from Public Religion Research Institute and aggregates polling data on religion, values, and politics from a variety of sources. Check in each week as he connects politics with the pews, helping readers understand how public sentiment on religion and politics will shape 2012 and beyond.

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?  Well, according to Dr. Robert P…. more

Figuring Faith | Rick Perry and the Perils of Sectarian Religion in 2012

[09.23.2011]

In a new post for his blog at the Washington Post On Faith, our CEO Dr. Robert P. Jones explores the challenges that Rick Perry may bump up against if he continues in the vein of his recent speech at Liberty University: To outside observers, Perry’s course may seem strange for someone who is making the case that he should be the next president of the most influential nation in… more

Figuring Faith | Like Rick Perry, Most “Pro-life” Americans OK With Death Penalty

[09.15.2011]

In the wake of the two latest Republican primary debates, Rick Perry’s unwavering support for the death penalty in Texas is sparking allegations that this policy doesn’t jive with his “pro-life” ethic.  Our CEO, Dr. Robert P. Jones, takes on the question in this week’s “Figuring Faith” for the Washington Post On Faith.  He explains that many Americans – and most Republicans – also believe that pro-life and pro-death penalty… more

Figuring Faith | The Double Standard on Religious Violence

[09.10.2011]

If you followed media coverage of the horrible shooting in Norway this summer, you probably ran across the controversy over whether violence committed in the name of religion was interpreted differently if the perpetrator self-identified as a Muslim or a Christian.  That’s a mouthful, but read on: we have data to prove that there is indeed a double standard on religious violence, which our CEO Dr. Robert P. Jones explains… more

Figuring Faith | How the Millennial Generation is Transforming the Politics of Gay and Lesbian Issues

[09.06.2011]

This week, our CEO Dr. Robert P. Jones expounds on our latest public opinion poll for “Figuring Faith,” his blog over at the Washington Post.  Check out an excerpt here and then head over to “Figuring Faith” to read the rest! New data from the Public Religion Research Institute shows, however, that [a] Republican campaign dynamic – opposition to same-sex marriage as a litmus test of conservative authenticity – has… more

Figuring Faith | Understanding Rick Perry’s Texas Two-Step on Evolution

[08.26.2011]

Here’s an excerpt from what our CEO Dr. Robert P. Jones had say about Governor Rick Perry and the evolution debate at his Washington Post On Faith blog “Figuring Faith:” This past week, the complex issue of evolution had the GOP presidential field struggling to find their footing. Texas Governor Rick Perry, the newest suitor at the big dance, had to dust off his two-stepping skills after leading off a… more

Figuring Faith | Elected officials’ Catholic dilemma on same-sex marriage

[07.01.2011]

There’s been a lot of discussion following the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York about the Catholic Church and its role in debate. Here’s an excerpt from what our CEO Dr. Robert P. Jones had to say in a new post at the Washington Post: On Faith: It wouldn’t come as a shock if New York politicians are starting to sweat–not from the summer heat, but from worry about the… more

Figuring Faith | When bad things happen to bad people

[05.12.2011]

Here is an excerpt from Dr. Robert P. Jones’ new post at the Washington Post’s On Faith section. You can find the full post here. Religious people have long struggled over the question of why bad things happen to good people. Over the last week following the death of Osama bin Laden, there has been serious debate over a different question: how people should react when bad things happen to… more

Figuring Faith | American mythology in a post-bin Laden world

[05.04.2011]

Here is an excerpt from Dr. Robert P. Jones’ new post at the Washington Post’s On Faith section. You can find the full post here. After the initial reactions to the death of Osama Bin Laden fade, we will still be left with the fundamental question of what the American mythos—the master narrative we tell about ourselves and or place in history—will be in a post-9/11, post-bin Laden world. This… more

Figuring Faith | The Tea Party, Planned Parenthood and religion’s hand in the shutdown showdown

[04.08.2011]

Today over at Washington Post On Faith, our CEO Robert P. Jones laid out where he sees the Tea Party’s hand in the “shutdown showdown.” Find the full post here. The looming government shutdown—particularly because it involves a standoff over an additional Republican rider that would defund Planned Parenthood—is presenting the American public with a window into the real priorities of the tea party. The standoff is a call for… more