Published Research
Fact Sheet | American Attitudes on Muslims
[11.07.2011]What You Need to Know I. LIMITED SOCIAL INTERACTION WITH MUSLIMS Few Americans report having regular interactions with Muslims. Three-in-ten Americans say they interact daily (6 percent) or occasionally (24 percent) with a Muslim. More than two-thirds (68 percent) report that they seldom or never interact with a Muslim. Millennials are significantly more likely than seniors to report speaking at least occasionally with someone who is Muslim (34 percent… more
Fact Sheet | Attitudes about Mormons and Implications for Mitt Romney’s Candidacy in 2012
[11.07.2011]What You Need to Know I. AMERICANS, RELIGION AND PRESIDENTS Nearly two-thirds (66 percent) of the public say it is very or somewhat important for a presidential candidate to have strong religious beliefs. Majorities of every religious group and both political parties agree. [PRRI, American Values Survey, September 2011] II. KNOWLEDGE OF AND INTERACTIONS WITH MORMONS Interactions with Mormons: Only about 3-in-10 (29 percent) Americans say they speak with Mormons… more
Survey | Strong Majorities of Americans Favor Rights and Legal Protections for Transgender People
[11.03.2011]Summary of Research Findings Overwhelming majorities of Americans agree that transgender people should have the same general rights and legal protections as others.* Approximately 9-in-10 (89%) Americans agree that transgender people deserve the same rights and protections as other Americans. Overwhelming majorities of all major religious groups agree that transgender people should have the same rights and protections as other Americans, including approximately 8-in-10 (83%) white evangelical Protestants, and roughly… more
Survey | Knowledge of Romney’s Religion Unchanged from July; Cain Succeeds where Romney and Perry Falter
[10.27.2011]October PRRI Religion and Politics Tracking Survey Only 42% of Americans can correctly identify Mitt Romney’s religion as Mormon. This level of knowledge remains unchanged from July 2011, when 4-in-10 (40%) Americans correctly identified Mitt Romney’s religion as Mormon. White evangelical Protestants are the only subgroup that demonstrates increased knowledge of Romney’s religion (53% today compared to 44% in July). College graduates and seniors (age 65 and up) are most… more
Survey | Climate Change and Evolution in the 2012 Elections
[09.22.2011]September PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey Evolution A majority (57%) of Americans believe that humans and other living things have evolved over time, compared to 38% who say that humans and other living things have existed in their present form since creation. More than 6-in-10 political independents (61%) and Democrats (64%) affirm a belief in evolution, compared to 45% of Republicans and 43% of Americans who identify with the Tea Party…. more
Survey | What it Means to be American: Attitudes towards Increasing Diversity in America Ten Years after 9/11
[09.06.2011]Executive Summary Ten years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Americans believe they are more safe but have less personal freedom and that the country is less respected in the world than it was prior to September 11, 2001. A small majority (53 percent) of Americans say that today the country is safer from terrorism than it was prior to the September 11th attacks. In contrast, nearly 8-in-10 say… more
Book Chapter | Faith and Race in American Political Life
[09.04.2011]Synopsis Two defining elements of American political life are race and religion. These do not work in isolation but, rather, are constantly in conversation with one another. Indeed, in U.S. history each category has effectively been employed to make meaning of the other, often recreating American politics in the process. Through the intersection of race and religion Americans define political and personal identities, cultural affiliations, and political and religious institutions—all… more
Survey | Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights
[08.29.2011]Executive Summary There is at least a 20-point generation gap between Millennials (age 18 to 29) and seniors (age 65 and older) on every public policy measure in the survey concerning rights for gay and lesbian people. More than 6-in-10 (62%) Millennials favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, 69% favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt children, 71% favor civil unions, and 79% favor employment discrimination protections… more
Book Chapter | Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics
[06.30.2011]Synopsis In response to a variety of critical intellectual currents (post-colonial, post-modern, and post-liberal) scholars in Christian theology and ethics are increasingly taking up the tools of ethnography as a means to ask fundamental moral questions and to make more compelling and credible moral claims. Privileging particularity, rather than the more traditional effort to achieve universal or at least generalizable norms in making claims regarding the Christian life, echoes the… more