Mainline Protestants
The Morning Buzz | Majority Says GOP is Principled But Out of Touch
[02.27.2013]A new poll reveals that 62% of the public says the GOP is out of touch with the American people, 56% think it is not open to change and 52% say the party is too extreme. Opinions about the Democratic Party are more mixed.
Our Corner | Don’t Write Off Mainline Protestants
[02.26.2013]In an interview with Duke University’s “Faith & Leadership,” I spoke about trends in religious research that will become increasingly important, including growing numbers of interreligious families and the rise of the religiously unaffiliated.
Our Corner | CNN Interview: Gun Issue Divides Religious Community
[01.14.2013]Last week, Vice President Joe Biden met with faith leaders to discuss strategies for reducing gun violence. However, as Dr. Robert P. Jones points out in a segment for CNN, there are religious groups on both sides of this issue. While majorities of Catholics and the religiously unaffiliated favor stricter gun control laws, majorities of white mainline and white evangelical Protestants are opposed.
Churches Face Challenges in Upgrading to Religion 2.0
[08.06.2012]Although a few churches are using social media to connect with their congregants quite effectively, most places of worship have sparse online offerings and few Americans report using technology or social media for religious purposes.
The Morning Buzz | July 20, 2012
[07.20.2012]The much-debated mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is finally being permitted to conduct a final inspection, after a local judge voided approval from a planning commission. To the disappointment of mosque officials, it will not be able to open in time for Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, which begins today. A slim majority (51%) of Americans say they would be comfortable with a mosque being built near their home.
Are Americans Losing Faith in Organized Religion?
[07.19.2012]Is organized religion – once more trusted than the military or the U.S. Supreme Court – beginning to falter in Americans’ eyes? A new poll from Gallup reports that only 44% of Americans have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in “the church or organized religion” today, dipping just below other recent low points (45% in 2002 and 46% in 2007). Less than forty years ago, American… more
Our Corner | Mainline Protestant Church Decisions on LGBT Issues Highlight Growing Generational Gaps
[07.16.2012]The Episcopal Church’s recent decision to sanction transgender ordination and blessings for same-sex couples, as well as the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s narrow vote against amending its definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, raises new questions about mainline Protestant denominations’ perspectives on gay and lesbian issues. At the Huffington Post, I explore the generational divides that emerge among white mainline Protestants on issues like same-sex marriage: The generational divides in… more