All of these frequently heard messages are incorrect, according Religion in a Free Market. The book, by professors Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., is bassed on a major national survey which they conducted. The U.S. Census is prohibited from asking questions about religion, so this survey, the American Religious Identification Survey, contains the most complete and reliable source of data on religon in America today.
Religion in a Free Market argues that "religion in America can best be understood as a product on offer in the marketplace of ideas." It says that "religious ferment in America is as strong as it has ever been, so whatever you learned about religion in the U.S. a generation ago is out of date."
Among key findings:
The share of the U.S. population that identified with a Christian faith tradition declined abruptly from 86.2 percent in 1990 to 76.5 percent in 2001.
The share of American adults who say they have no religion rose from 8 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2001, which amounts to about 30 million people.
Non-Christian faiths' share of the national population rose only very slightly from 3.3 percent in 1990 to 3.7 percent in 2001.
Contrary to impressions of religiously engaged youth, in general the old and middle-aged are far more likely than the young to believe in God and identify with a religious group.
The American Religious Identification Survey 2001 (ARIS) queried 50,000 American adults about their religious outlook and whether they believed in God, in miracles, and in a personal relationship with God. The survey also asked about their politics, collected their demographics, including marital status, number of children, and state of residence. In addition, it asked about their use of media and whether they or anyone in their household was a member of a denomination. The results of the survey were weighted to represent the entire U.S. adult population.
So, in a country where 77 percent of adults self-identify as Christian, what is the dominant religion? Catholics are still the largest group with nearly 51 million adherents in 2001, up from 46 million in 1990. Baptists are the next largest denomination, but their numbers have stayed about the same over the last decade--about 34 million. At the other end of the spectrum are 33,000 Druids, 22,000 Santeria, and 11,000 adults who identify themselves as Rastafarians.
The authors argue that the reason the religious landscape in the U.S. is so rich and dynamic is because of the freedom of religion proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the Constitution. Because of this freedom, the U.S. is a hotbed of new religions, with those who are dissatisfied with their current religious group often finding or creating a new one. This freedom creates an open market where religious groups can find new recruits and many of them are turning to established marketing methods in their efforts to bolster their numbers.
Switching religions is just one topic covered in this book. In addition, readers will learn: How interfaith households make choices for their children.
Why single women are good potential memers for some religions.
The impact of religion on the U.S. economy.
Which religions dominate in various geographic regions of the United States and why.
Who the Muslims are in the United States. You'll be surprised to learn that few of them are Arab-Americans.
Which religions are most likely among ethnic and racial groups.
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