Pew Forum in the News
May 9, 2008 - Reuters
China’s Religious Character May Be Deeper Than Thought
The light being cast on China by the coming Summer Games is far brighter than the flickering Olympic flame now wending its way across that vast country.
May 8, 2008 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
A religious haven for the estranged
The cockeyed iron crucifix inside St. Miriam Catholic Church in Roxborough is just one clue that this is no ordinary Catholic parish.
May 7, 2008 - The Associated Press
Evangelical leaders say their faith is too politicized
Prominent evangelicals urged Christian conservatives Wednesday to support "an expansion of our concerns beyond single-issue politics," angering some leaders on the religious right who have been closely allied with the Republican Party.
May 5, 2008 - Reuters
Republican evangelical support has peaked: analyst
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain will almost certainly garner less of the evangelical vote in November than the almost 80 percent that President George W. Bush took in 2004, a former top Bush aide said on Monday.
May 5, 2008 - The Christian Post
A Look Back at China's Growing Faith
Much attention has been paid to China’s human rights violations, including its suppression of religious freedom, ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.
May 5, 2008 - Time
Religion and the Parties
Mike Gerson and Bill Galston just gave the first presentations here at the Pew Forum's biannual conference on religion and public life.
May 5, 2008 - Reuters
Catholics have become key Clinton base: analyst
White Roman Catholics have become a key base for Sen. Hillary Clinton in her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination and one she needs to win by huge margin, a conference on faith and politics heard on Monday.
May 5, 2008 - The Boston Globe
Catholics reflect schism in Democratic base
Bloc splitting along age, class, and gender lines.
May 5, 2008 - The Orlando Sentinel
Hispanic evangelicals hold potent votes, experts say
For the Rev. Nino Gonzalez, last year's contentious debate over immigration reform was a rude awakening -- one that has propelled him into the political arena.
May 5, 2008 - The Christian Post
What Progressive Christians Are Doing to U.S. Politics
Progressive Christians, who have found a louder voice this election year, have helped expand the issues that matter to religious people in the public square and brought together previously opposing communities, said a panel of progressive leaders and scholar recently.
May 2, 2008 - The News & Observer
Our civil religion
A scholar says voters judge candidates by common beliefs in American ideals.
April 28, 2008 - Commonweal
Analysis: Jeremiah, Obama, and Roman Catholics
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright is back in the news, delivering some fiery (the indispensible adjective with the Rev. Wright) rhetoric yesterday at the close of a meeting of the NAACP’s Detroit branch.
April 25, 2008 - The Washington Times
Clinton's faith underestimated
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is more devout than public perception has allowed, her Methodism carried close to her heart alongside her political interests, even if she is almost reluctant to talk about it.
April 21, 2008 - New York Magazine
If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?
The fastest-growing faith in America is no faith at all. And now some atheists think they need a church.
April 20, 2008 - The Scranton Times-Tribune
Muslim myth still dogging Obama
It’s been said many times: this is an election year of firsts. The first viable woman presidential candidate. The first viable black presidential candidate.
April 20, 2008 - The New York Times
A Deep Respect for Benedict, but It’s Still True Love for John Paul
At the Catholic Goods Center off Arthur Avenue in the Bronx the other day, they were all sold out of Pope Benedict XVI holy cards. Copies of the photo of Benedict displayed in the store window were selling briskly.
April 20, 2008 - The New York Times
A Populist Shift Confronts the U.S. Catholic Church
To say she was a practicing Catholic would be an understatement. For years, Maria Aparecida Calazans was a mainstay at her Long Island church, joining dozens of fellow Brazilian immigrants for the Portuguese language Mass on Sunday mornings.
April 20, 2008 - The New York Times
Pope Speaks Up for Immigrants, Touching a Nerve
Even as he was flying to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of protecting immigrant families, not dividing them.
April 19, 2008 - The Houston Chronicle
Catholic vote proves to be difficult target
Once solidly Democrat, flock now more diverse.
April 18, 2008 - The Houston Chronicle
Lent reflects Orthodox church's history
Amid burning candles and glowing icons, the Orthodox choir lifts up its voice during an evening service.
April 15, 2008 - Reuters
"Faith Vote" Big in Pennsylvania Primary
Darwin McAfee is a white evangelical Protestant who is opposed to abortion and likes the great outdoors.
April 15, 2008 - Newsweek
Opinion: How Benedict XVI Will Make History
The master teacher who follows John Paul is a moral leader who's begun an unprecedented conversation with Islam.
April 15, 2008 - The Online NewsHour
Young Catholics Are Prime Audience for Pope Benedict XVI's U.S. Visit
The pope's six-day visit begins Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where he will be greeted by President Bush.
April 15, 2008 - Politico
Green Lobby Turns to Prayer
With Congress nearing consideration of sweeping global warming legislation, advocates are turning to a higher authority to help their lobbying in the sometimes sinful halls of Congress.
April 15, 2008 - The Washington Post
Building Ties With Catholics A Bush Priority
During a private meeting in the White House living quarters last year with the Roman Catholic bishop of Hong Kong, President Bush expressed passionate appreciation for the church's defense of human life on abortion and other issues.
April 14, 2008 - Council on Foreign Relations
The Pope in America
In seven trips to the United States in the last quarter of the twentieth century, the late Pope John Paul II carried on a lively relationship with Americans, alternately charming and challenging Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
April 14, 2008 - BBC News
Hispanics Help Reshape US Church
In the remote village of Chimayo, where the mountains of New Mexico swell up out of the desert scrub, the faithful pray for miracles, and offer a clue to the pressures and influences helping to reshape modern American Catholicism.
April 14, 2008 - The Baltimore Sun
Politics to Greet Pope on U.S. Visit
Presidential candidates hope pontiff's remarks produce Catholic votes.
April 14, 2008 - Newsday
Obama Campaign Struggles to Win over Catholics
Barack Obama was waiting in the wings when the priest began to bless his rally last week in this conservative, middle-class Indiana town.
April 13, 2008 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Democratic Candidates Try to Reach Religious Voters
The God gap is closing.
April 13, 2008 - The Baltimore Sun
Opinion: Evangelicals' New Face
The "religious right" fades as more Christians embrace a view of morality that extends beyond abortion and gay marriage.
April 13, 2008 - Politico
Obama Gaffe Undermines Dem Outreach
The furor surrounding Barack Obama’s comments about “bitter” small-town voters and their faith clouds an emerging story line that stood to benefit the eventual Democratic nominee at Republican John McCain’s expense.
April 10, 2008 - Reuters
The 'Affirmative Orthodoxy' of Pope Benedict
Pope Benedict is coming to America and American Catholics may be in for some surprises.
April 10, 2008 - Reuters
Pope May Find Willing Ear Among Young U.S. Catholics
Pope Benedict may find a particularly receptive audience during his U.S. visit next week among some younger Catholics who have come of age seeking a stronger and perhaps more conservative religious identity.
April 10, 2008 - York Daily Record
Primary Candidates Court Catholics in Pa.
The diverse voting bloc could hold sway in the April 22 primary.
April 7, 2008 - The New York Times
Opinion: The Vatican and Globalization: Tinkering With Sin
It’s hard to erect rules to last forever.
April 5, 2008 - Richmond Times-Dispatch
Pontiff Will Visit U.S. Amid Church's Transition
Catholics are seeing changes in religion's makeup, direction.
April 4, 2008 - Reuters
Pope Benedict Hardly Household Name in U.S.: Poll
Pope Benedict is viewed favorably by most Americans but is not as popular as his predecessor John Paul among Catholics and non-Catholics alike, according to a poll released on Wednesday.
April 4, 2008 - The Economist
Germany's Turkish Minority
Germany's Turks do not properly belong. But what is it that they should belong to?
April 3, 2008 - Politico
McCain Shies Away From Religion Talk
Traversing the country this week on a tour of places that have shaped his life and informed his values, John McCain spoke in strikingly personal language to introduce himself to the American public.
April 2, 2008 - The San Jose Mercury-News
Diocese Trying to Restore Trust Through Prevention Programs
It was the worst of times for the Diocese of Oakland.
April 2, 2008 - Los Angeles Times
U.S. Muslims and Mormons Share Deepening Ties
The connection is based not on theology but on shared values and a sense of isolation from mainstream America.
March 28, 2008 - U.S. News & World Report
Pope Reaches Out to American Catholics
It won't be the easiest roadshow for the leader of the world's largest Christian church, a man who many thought would be a quiet but dogmatic transitional figure focused on preserving the church in an increasingly secular Europe.
March 26, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle
Obama Bounces Back - Speech Seemed to Help
The first major national poll taken since Sen. Barack Obama's speech on race in America shows Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in a virtual tie, reversing Obama's slide in the polls after the wide airing of controversial remarks made by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
March 26, 2008 - The Hill
Opinion: Obama Should Change
Barack Obama should look at some recent polling to find a way out of his jam with the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
March 24, 2008 - The New Republic
Opinion: Full Faith
Despite Jeremiah Wright, Obama gets religion.
March 24, 2008 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This Time, Evangelicals Aren't Just GOP Bloc
Hunter Wright, a 27-year-old evangelical Christian from Gwinnett County, is leaning toward Republican John McCain in the upcoming presidential election.
March 23, 2008 - Cox News Service
Focusing on Faith, Getting Burned
The attempt by Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to close the "God gap" with the GOP and Republican John McCain's effort to make amends with his party's evangelicals have caused an unusual number of religious controversies so far in the 2008 race for the White House.
March 20, 2008 - The Oakland Tribune
Ranks of 'Unaffiliated' Growing
Quarter of western U.S. adults claim no religious affiliation, survey says.
March 20, 2008 - USA Today
Has the 'Notion of Sin' Been Lost?
Is sin dead? No, not by a long shot.
March 19, 2008 - The Chronicle of Higher Education
Pew in the Pews
Findings in the study shed new light on issues around which there has been no scholarly consensus.
March 17, 2008 - The Associated Press
Evangelical Liberals Put Priority on Poverty, Environment
A group of evangelicals seeks to redefine the faith's political reputation as more than a fight against abortion and same-sex marriage with a three-day "justice revival" focused on its historical roots in women's suffrage, abolition and civil rights.
March 14, 2008 - Commonweal
Editorial: The Missing
Last month the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the study, “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” tracking the religious affiliations of Americans. While the study’s findings were not surprising, they were sobering, especially for Catholics.
March 11, 2008 - InsideCatholic
Symposium: Why Are They Leaving?
InsideCatholic asked 34 prominent Catholics from various backgrounds to answer the question, "Why Are So Many Leaving the Catholic Church?"
March 10, 2008 - USA Today
Opinion - American Faith: A Work in Progress
Politics and a new view of morality have radically altered the religious landscape.
March 10, 2008 - Religion News Service
McCain Seeks Support from GOP Faithful
Sen. John McCain sought support among conservative true believers Friday (March 7) in New Orleans, reaching to enlist them in his campaign days after securing the Republican presidential nomination.
March 10, 2008 - The Washington Post
Yearning for Words of Tolerance
When Pope Benedict XVI comes to Washington next month, he will set foot in a Roman Catholic community that is now one-third Hispanic.
March 9, 2008 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Centrist Evangelicals Lift their Political Voice
In 1973, 40 evangelical leaders gathered at a YMCA in Chicago to call for a movement against poverty, racism, sexism and violence.
March 9, 2008 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PA Looks Like Prime Territory for Clinton
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will come to Pennsylvania's hard coal country tomorrow, kicking off her campaign in a state where a victory is essential to maintain her newfound momentum.
March 9, 2008 - Dubuque Telegraph Herald
Oh, John, Iowa Caucusgoers Waiting
Since former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards pulled out of the Democratic presidential primary race at the end of January, he's been keeping his own counsel about who he will support.
March 7, 2008 - The Times of London
Barack Obama's Evangelicals Close the God Gap
Progressive evangelicals believe they can end the dominance of the religious right.
March 7, 2008 - Reuters
Is. U.S. Evangelical Vote in Play?
DALLAS (Reuters) - Evangelical Christians who have greatly influenced recent U.S. elections are seen playing a different but once again key role in this November's White House race and analysts say both parties are keen to woo them.
March 2, 2008 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Will GOP Rally to McCain?
John McCain could officially wrap up the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, and he'll celebrate in Atlanta on Thursday.
March 2, 2008 - The New York Times
Religion Is Less a Birthright Than a Good Fit
I was raised a Protestant in a Rockwellian New Hampshire village that was the proud home to stout, wood-frame churches and Saturday night ham-and-bean suppers.
March 1, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal
Opinion: God's Country
A new survey of the American religious landscape, out this week from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, confirms the dynamism of American religious experience.
February 29, 2008 - The Boston Globe
Opinion: Faith and Tolerance
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released this week the most comprehensive survey of the American religious landscape ever conducted.
February 29, 2008 - The Boston Globe
Opinion: Shopping for Religion
Just below the text there was a Google ad inviting me to take a quiz. "Christian? Jewish? Muslim? Atheist? See which Religion is Right for You."
February 29, 2008 - The Associated Press
American Religion as a Spiritual Shopping Center
If American religion is a spiritual shopping center, denominations that once dominated the market are in danger of being boarded up.
February 28, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal
Opinion: The Search for the Next Soccer Mom
Ben Wattenberg and Richard Scammon introduced us to the Dayton housewife in their famous 1970 book, "The Real Majority."
February 27, 2008 - The Guardian
Turkey Strives for 21st Century Form of Islam
Turkey is engaged in a bold and profound attempt to rewrite the basis for Islamic sharia law while also officially reinterpreting the Qur'an for the modern age.
February 26, 2008 - The Boston Globe
US Religious Identity Is Rapidly Changing
Protestants likely to become a minority; Growing percentage now unaffiliated; Immigrants help fill Catholic parishes
February 26, 2008 - Chicago Tribune
Many U.S. Catholics, Protestants Leave Their Churches
Many Roman Catholics and Protestants in America are leaving the churches of their childhood and either embracing other faiths or claiming no religion at all, according to an extensive national survey released Monday.
February 26, 2008 - Los Angeles Times
More in U.S. Jump to New Faiths, Poll Finds
The nation's long-held Protestant majority has slipped to 51%. Evangelicals make up the nation's single-largest tradition, followed by Catholics.
February 26, 2008 - The Washington Post
Survey: Many Americans Switch Faith Identity
America has always been a competitive religious marketplace, but a major survey released yesterday shows a country increasingly exploring different faith identities and ways of worship.
February 25, 2008 - Agence France-Presse
Protestants on Verge of Becoming Minority in US: Study
Protestants are on the verge of becoming a minority in the United States, a country they helped to found, as immigration reshapes the religious landscape and people change creed or drop religion altogether, a major study showed Monday.
February 25, 2008 - TIME
America's Unfaithful Faithful
A major new survey presents perhaps the most detailed picture we've yet had of which religious groups Americans belong to. And its big message is: blink and they'll change.
February 25, 2008 - The Associated Press
Survey: US Religious Landscape in Flux
The U.S. religious marketplace is extremely volatile, with nearly half of American adults leaving the faith tradition of their upbringing to either switch allegiances or abandon religious affiliation altogether, a new survey finds.
February 25, 2008 - Reuters
Many Americans Religiously Unaffiliated: Survey
When it comes to religion, more and more U.S. adults either have none or do not identify with a particular church, although the country remains highly religious, a survey said on Monday.
February 25, 2008 - USA Today
Survey: Americans Freely Change, or Drop, Their Religions
A new map of faith in the USA shows a nation constantly shifting amid religious choices, unaware or unconcerned with doctrinal distinctions
February 25, 2008 - The New York Times
Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate, Report Finds
More than a quarter of adult Americans have left the faith of their childhood to join another religion or no religion, according to a new survey of religious affiliation by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
February 25, 2008 - Religion News Service
Study Finds Americans Fluid in Their Religious Affiliation
If you're Buddhist in the United States, you're most likely a white convert who lives in the American West.
February 25, 2008 - Religion News Service
Study Shows Racial Diversity Across U.S. Faiths
A new detailed study of American religion reveals not just a diversity of faiths, but also a range of racial and ethnic membership within those faiths.
February 25, 2008 - Religion News Service
'Unaffiliated' Show Biggest Change Among U.S. Faith Groups
Americans who aren't part of a religious organization or who identify as an atheist or an agnostic represent the biggest change among U.S. religious groups, according to a study released Monday (Feb. 25) by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
February 25, 2008 - Religion News Service
Catholics Lose More Faithful Than Any Other Group
In the marketplace of American faith, Catholicism is the big loser.
February 25, 2008 - Religion News Service
Protestants Close to Losing Majority Status
The United States is firmly 78 percent Christian but barely 51 percent Protestant, according to a survey released Monday (Feb. 25).
February 25, 2008 - Religion News Service
Hindus Thrive as Buddhists Struggle to Pass on the Faith
In a study that highlights the fluidity of religious affiliation in America today, Hindus stand out as the group with the most stable religious identity, while Buddhists struggle hardest to pass the faith from one generation to the next.
February 24, 2008 - The Washington Post
Opinion: Our Flagging Faith in the GOP
It's immigration, stupid.
February 19, 2008 - Christianity Today
Capital Doubts
Supreme Court mulls lethal injections as Christian support for the death penalty drops.
February 17, 2008 - The Boston Globe
Q and A With Jim Wallis
An increasingly influential religious leader explains why evangelicals should worry less about abortion and gay marriage, and more about the poor.
February 16, 2008 - The Washington Post
Southern Baptists Diversifying to Survive
Seven years ago, the Rev. Eric Redmond never imagined himself leading a congregation in the overwhelmingly white Southern Baptist Convention.
February 16, 2008 - Des Moines Register
Grassley's Tax Probe Draws Wrath of Televangelists
A backlash is growing among televangelists against an investigation spearheaded by Sen. Charles Grassley that is probing churches' acquisitions of Rolls Royces, mansions and private jets.
February 15, 2008 - U.S. News & World Report
Huckabee's Strength Spotlights New Generation of Evangelical Christians
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's unexpected resilience has influenced this election in myriad ways.
February 13, 2008 - The Associated Press
Muslim Running for Congress Wants to Combat Ignorance About His Faith
A convert to Islam stands an election victory away from becoming the second Muslim elected to Congress and a role model for a faith community seeking to make its mark in national politics.
February 13, 2008 - Agence France-Presse
Evangelical Christians May Prove Key in White House Race
White evangelical Christians may hold the key to the 2008 White House race as Democratic contenders openly tout their faith, while the Republican front-runner is on bad terms with his party's religious pillar.
February 11, 2008 - The Washington Independent
Huckabee Hopeful Despite Tough Odds
Mike Huckabee isn’t ready to give up his quest for the White House, and voters keep giving him reasons to stay in the race.
February 10, 2008 - Agence France-Presse
McCain's Delicate Dance With Republican Conservatives
Core conservative Republicans are trapped between denial and grudging acceptance over the rise of John McCain as the party's presumptive 2008 presidential standard bearer.
February 9, 2008 - National Journal
The Right Stuff?
Less than a year after losing his bitter battle with George W. Bush for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination, John McCain claimed that he had finally gotten his infamous hair-trigger temper under control. In a lengthy interview with National Journal, the senator from Arizona quietly declared that he no longer allowed himself to let loose with the withering, in-your-face invective that, more than once, he had targeted toward his Senate colleagues.
February 9, 2008 - St. Petersburg Times
America's Muslim Population is Gaining a Hispanic Accent
Before the women can begin, they must pray.
February 8, 2008 - The Guardian
Opinion: God Moves to the Left
America's evangelical Christians are anti-gay, pro-gun, keen on capital punishment and obsessed with lower taxes. And, of course, they all vote Republican. At least, that's what vicar Giles Fraser thought - until he went to meet them.
February 7, 2008 - Religion News Service
Muslims Say Obama's Denials Come Up Short
Muslim Americans and political observers heralded the 2006 elections as a sort of debutante's ball for the Muslim voter, when anger and organizational heft pushed unprecedented numbers of Muslim citizens to vote and get involved with U.S. politics.
February 5, 2008 - Chicago Tribune
Reach of Evangelicals, Talk Radio Tested
Unifying conservatives is crucial for McCain.
February 5, 2008 - Religion News Service
Questions Linger on Surge in 'Born-Again' Support for Democrats
A new poll that shows Sen. Hillary Clinton drawing a large percentage of "born-again" voters is giving her campaign something to trumpet, but is also prompting questions: Did the pollster define born-again too broadly? And if so, are the results meaningful?
February 4, 2008 - Christianity Today
McCain Surges in Polls, But Many Evangelicals Wary
Observers say the candidate's policy stances and lack of "faith talk" has led some to look elsewhere, but Super Tuesday may change that.
February 4, 2008 - The Sacramento Bee
Campaigns Courting Sacramento Church Leader
Candidates look to Samuel Rodriguez to attract Latino evangelical voters.
February 3, 2008 - Reuters
Little Seen as Simple in Race and Politics in South
With its painful history of slavery and segregation, it is easy to presume how Southern white voters will respond to Barack Obama, who would be the country's first black president, but observers say simple assumptions about politics in the region would be wrong.
February 3, 2008 - Reuters
Some Non-Christians Feel Left Out of Election
In a U.S. election campaign where presidential candidates from both major parties have talked openly about their Christian faith, some non-Christians feel shut out or turned off.
February 2, 2008 - The New York Times
Evangelical Democrats, Exit Polls and a Matter of Balance
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If a born-again Christian votes in a Democratic primary and no exit poll records it, does it matter?
February 1, 2008 - PBS Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
Religious Support in the Presidential Primaries
Presidential candidates have been waging an active faith-based strategy leading into this coming Super Tuesday (February 5). But there hasn't been a lot of evidence about how those strategies may be working.
February 1, 2008 - The New York Times
From the Housing Market to the Maternity Ward
For the first time in 35 years, America’s total fertility rate — the estimated number of children a woman will have in her lifetime — reached 2.1, the theoretical level required to maintain the country’s population, according to recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics.
January 31, 2008 - Stateline.org
States Take Sides on Stem Cell Research
In the 10 years since University of Wisconsin scientists announced they had harvested potentially life-saving stem cells from human embryos, the bioethical dilemma presented by the science has stymied the federal government, split the GOP and has been debated in nearly every statehouse in the country.
January 30, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal
Assessing McCain’s Evangelical Appeal
Arizona Sen. John McCain hasn’t been what you’d call a darling of the influential evangelical Christian arm of the Republican Party.
January 29, 2008 - Chicago Tribune
Latinos Courted as Wild Card Among Shifting Evangelical Voters
For Democratic, GOP candidates, California pastor is vital link to nearly 18,000 congregations.
January 29, 2008 - St. Petersburg Times
A Breach of Faith
Older generations mourn as young Hispanics turn away from the Catholic Church.
January 29, 2008 - The New York Times
Opinion: The Faith to Outlast Politics
In his State of the Union address Monday evening, President Bush asked Congress to permanently extend the federal laws permitting religious nonprofit organizations to compete for federal grants.
January 28, 2008 - Politico
Romney Pays Tribute to Late Mormon Leader
For Mitt Romney's campaign, one topic was front and center this morning: the death of Mormon Church president Gordon Hinckley, the longest-serving president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
January 28, 2008 - Religion News Service
Religious Strategy Heading into Super Tuesday
With primaries or caucuses in 24 states, the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primary could very well produce the next presidential nominee for both major parties -- but how much of a factor will religion be?
January 25, 2008 - PBS NOW
God and Politics 2008
No recent Republican has won the presidency without the help of evangelical Christian voters.
January 25, 2008 - TIME
Romney's Cash Advantage Sinks In
From the day he announced his candidacy, observers have noted that Mitt Romney "looks presidential," yet this appearance advantage did not particularly help Romney in the early primary states.
January 23, 2008 - Christianity Today
Hispanic Evangelicals Move Toward the Democrats
As Democratic candidates continue to court people of faith, the Republican Party's bid to hold on to such voters, particularly evangelical Hispanics, is slipping.
January 23, 2008 - The Buffalo News
35 Years after Roe, Both Sides See a Shift in Opinion About Abortion
Drop in abortion rate brings new tone to divisive debate.
January 20, 2008 - Financial Times
Huckabee Struggles to Draw Christian Right
Republican evangelical voters who went to the polls in South Carolina on Saturday voted for Mike Huckabee, but the former Baptist minister did not win the Christian conservative vote by a wide margin.
January 18, 2008 - USA Today
S.C. Primary May Yield GOP Front-Runner, Answers
After three different winners in three major contests, Republicans look south this weekend in search of a presidential front-runner.
January 18, 2008 - St. Petersburg Times
Candidates More Vocal About Their Faith
The presidential hopefuls from both parties see the topic as crucial to victory.
January 18, 2008 - Sydney Morning Herald
Correctness Next to Godliness for Bible Belt
This week the Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee proposed that the US constitution be brought more in line with God's law in the Bible.
January 15, 2008 - Stateline.org
States Vie for Stem-Cell Scientists
Far from resolving an epic moral quandary, last year’s groundbreaking discovery that ordinary skin cells eventually could replace the use of human embryos in stem-cell research actually stoked the fiery debate over the cutting-edge science.
January 13, 2008 - The New York Times
Huckabee Splits Young Evangelicals and Old Guard
Much of the national leadership of the Christian conservative movement has turned a cold shoulder to the Republican presidential campaign of Mike Huckabee, wary of his populist approach to economic issues and his criticism of the Bush administration’s foreign policy.
January 12, 2008 - St. Petersburg Times
Attacks on Obama Hit His Church
E-mails spread falsehoods about Trinity United Church of Christ.
January 12, 2008 - Politico
Obama Asks S.C. Black Voters to Have Faith
One of the most striking aspects of Barack Obama's pitch in the Palmetto State, where roughly half the Democratic voters are black, is that it isn’t dominated by the issue of race. It’s about faith.
January 7, 2008 - The Diane Rehm Show
Teaching Evolution and Creationism
Pew Forum Senior Research Fellow David Masci participated in a discussion about a new National Academy of Sciences report emphasizing the importance of teaching evolution in public schools.
January 7, 2008 - Religion News Service
Religious Foes of Capital Punishment See New Momentum
Stephen Dear has spent the past 10 years waging an uphill battle to abolish the death penalty in the American South. He's had virtually no help from the region's powerful evangelical clergy.
January 7, 2008 - San Francisco Chronicle
Appetite for Change Finally Draws Young Voters to the Polls
For more than three decades, it was the hollowest of presidential campaign promises: "And we're going to get out the youth vote!"
January 6, 2008 - The Associated Press
Analysis: Local Evangelicals Show Clout
The stereotype has been around as long as the religious right: conservative Christians are sheep-like, monolithic, controlled by their leaders.
January 6, 2008 - Reuters
Court to Consider Execution by Lethal Injection
The Supreme Court, in a case being watched around the world, on Monday hears arguments about whether to ban the lethal three-drug cocktail used in most U.S. executions because it inflicts excruciating pain.
January 5, 2008 - Dallas Morning News
Opinion: Huckabee Takes Bush's Religious Candor a Step Further
In his overt use of religious language to win votes, Mike Huckabee owes much to George W. Bush, the faith-based president.
January 4, 2008 - Religion News Service
Have Evangelicals Found Their Man in Mike Huckabee?
When Mike Huckabee resoundingly won the Iowa caucuses Thursday (Jan. 4), Republican evangelicals backed his campaign by a margin of more than 2-1 in the crowded GOP field.
December 24, 2007 - Dallas Morning News
Invisible Force Helping Mike Huckabee
Largely unknown Christian leaders prove powerful in Iowa.
December 21, 2007 - The Boston Globe
In N.H. Churches, Candidates Find a Different Breed of Evangelical
In the dimly lit sanctuary of a large brick church at the north end of Main Street, more than 100 people move to light Christian rock music.
December 21, 2007 - The Washington Post
Opinion: Divine Evolution
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. Or not. And so the debate on origins continues.
December 20, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
Candidate Clinton Goes Public with Her Private Faith
She doesn't cede religious turf to conservatives but dismays some liberals.
December 19, 2007 - The Boston Globe
Huckabee Ad Delivers a Christmas Message
Mike Huckabee doesn't wish you happy holidays. He wants you to have a Merry Christmas.
December 19, 2007 - Religion News Service
Black Churches Struggle Over Clinton vs. Obama
If it's true that a house divided cannot stand, then black churches across South Carolina should be shaking.
December 18, 2007 - The Weekly Standard
The New Hampshire Evangelicals
Evangelical Protestants constitute 27 percent of Iowa voters and 20 percent of New Hampshire voters.
December 17, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
Special Report: Latin America's New Gospel
As church lights dim across the US and Europe, Christian houses of worship are opening every day in Latin America.
December 17, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal
Huckabee Taps Renewed Fervor of Evangelicals
Evangelical voters, dispirited with their options in the Republican presidential field for much of the year, are feeling new energy and intensity as they flock to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. And with their support, Mr. Huckabee's campaign is soaring to heights that seemed unimaginable just a month ago.
December 15, 2007 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Empty European Pews Result in Sale of Churches
Muslim faith experiencing rapid growth as Christianity wanes.
December 14, 2007 - The Coloradoan
Are Preacher Endorsements a Good Mix Religiously or Politically?
Back in 1980, Ronald Reagan told the late Jerry Falwell and other leaders of an emerging religious right in Dallas that he knew they couldn't endorse him but, "I want you to know that I endorse you and what you are doing."
December 13, 2007 - Salt Lake Tribune
Huckabee Throwing Veiled LDS Hardballs?
Political scientists say magazine remark, TV ad are shots at Romney.
December 11, 2007 - Stateline
N.J. Latest to Try Death-Penalty Repeal
New Jersey lawmakers are speeding ahead on a plan to make the Garden State the first in the nation to repeal the death penalty since it was reinstated more than 30 years ago, capping a year in which similar efforts gained traction across the country.
December 9, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Romney a Hard Sell for Evangelicals
Roxanne Helmey does not mind spending time with Mormons. She welcomes an opportunity to talk to them about her Christian faith and on occasion, she prays for them. But one thing she will not do, she said, is vote for a Mormon as president of the United States.
December 7, 2007 - The Economist
Can a Mormon Be President?
It was a fine and patriotic speech, full of ennobling rhetoric about liberty and tolerance.
December 7, 2007 - Des Moines Register
Activists, Pastors in Iowa Question Impact of Romney Speech
Most conservative Christian political activists and pastors who studied Mitt Romney's speech on Thursday addressing his Mormon faith agree it was something he had to do.
December 7, 2007 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Huckabee Vs. Romney Is a Matter of Faith for Some
The Rev. Scott Weldon of Marshfield, Mo., has been way out in front of the Mike Huckabee surge that pushed the former Arkansas governor past Mitt Romney in the Iowa polls last weekend.
December 6, 2007 - Religion News Service
Romney Speech May Quiet Some Critics, But Not All
Mitt Romney said Thursday (Dec. 6) that he's running for president as an American, not a Mormon, and conceded that if his religious beliefs cost him the Oval Office, then "so be it."
December 6, 2007 - The Baltimore Sun
Romney Turns Focus to Faith
When Mitt Romney speaks on religion tonight, it is people like the Rev. Jason Poling he is going to have to reach.
December 6, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Question of Faith in '08 Race
Republican Mitt Romney has raised millions of dollars in a bid for the presidency, invested millions more of his own and staked enviable positions in Iowa and New Hampshire.
December 5, 2007 - U.S. News and World Report
Mitt Romney and the Mormon Moment
The speech that Mitt Romney will deliver in Texas tomorrow is the speech that he has long wanted not to make.
December 5, 2007 - The Associated Press
Theology Divides Mormons, Evangelicals
Polygamy, missionaries on bicycles and the Osmonds.
December 3, 2007 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Culture War Reflects Split Between Board, Residents
The national culture war over how teachers should educate children has raged for nearly two years in Upper St. Clair.
December 3, 2007 - The Associated Press
Romney to Give Mormon Speech
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, striving to be the country's first Mormon president, will give a speech this week explaining his relatively unknown faith to voters, his campaign said Sunday.
December 2, 2007 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
God & American Politics
Got God? If you're running for president of the United States in 2008, you'd better.
December 1, 2007 - The Daily Star (Lebanon)
Opinion: A Trans-Atlantic Divide Exists on Muslim Integration
America’s Muslims do not so much assimilate as participate in economic, political, educational, and social life.
November 26, 2007 - Newsweek
A Catholic Dilemma: Can They Root for Rudy?
Rudy Giuliani has a Catholic problem.
November 26, 2007 - The Washington Post
Politics of Race and Religion
Moral issues leave black evangelicals torn between parties.
November 23, 2007 - St. Petersburg Times
Vying for Hispanic Faithful
The U.S. Catholic Church faces evangelical competition as it tries to maintain its firm hold on an immigrant base.
November 19, 2007 - Newsweek
The Authenticity Test
Over the past three years, Sen. John Kerry has had a lot of time to think about his God, and at a meeting with journalists in Washington earlier this month he shared those thoughts.
November 15, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Catholic Bishops Say Voters' Souls at Stake
Proclaiming a sense of new energy and empowerment, the nation's Roman Catholic bishops on Wednesday issued instructions to Catholic voters that their eternal salvation could be at stake when they cast ballots.
November 15, 2007 - Los Angeles Times
Evangelical Flocks on Their Own at the Polls
A fundamental shift is transforming the religious right, long a force in presidential politics, as aging evangelical leaders split on the 2008 race and a new generation of pastors turns away from politics altogether.
November 14, 2007 - The Journal News
Clinton, Giuliani Hot in Pursuit of Key Religious Groups, Expert Says
At a time when presidential candidates of both parties are hustling to win over religious voters, Sen. Hillary Clinton is dominating all religious groups in the Democratic world, while Rudy Giuliani is doing well with all Republican groups - except evangelicals.
November 11, 2007 - The Associated Press
Evangelicals' Issue: Radical Islam
Following last month's Values Voter Summit in Washington, conservative Christian power-broker Gary Bauer sent an e-mail to supporters.
November 10, 2007 - NPR
Christian Right Backs Giuliani on GOP Ticket
The Rev. Pat Robertson endorsed Rudolph Giuliani for president this week, putting aside all differences about gay rights, gun control, and abortion rights.
November 8, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal
Robertson's Support of Giuliani Underscores Evangelical Divide
In the latest evidence that evangelical Christians are as split as the rest of the Republican voters, Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson endorsed Rudy Giuliani, who has been divorced twice and supports abortion rights, for the Republican nomination.
November 8, 2007 - The Financial Times
Televangelist Backs Giuliani Campaign
Rudy Giuliani yesterday significantly boosted his chances of getting the Republican presidential nomination when he secured the endorsement of Pat Robertson - America's most prominent televangelist.
November 8, 2007 - Dallas Morning News
Giuliani, Robertson News Points up Evangelical Divide in GOP Race
Pat Robertson's endorsement of Rudy Giuliani for president Wednesday delighted the former New York mayor's supporters and gave him new hope he could win Christian conservatives, but it also underscored deep divisions within the once-united group.
November 7, 2007 - San Antonio Express News
Religious Leaders Give Their Blessings to Various Presidential Hopefuls
Leaders of the Christian conservative political movement scattered their presidential endorsements among Republican presidential hopefuls on Wednesday — further evidence that no single person has won their hearts and their votes.
November 7, 2007 - ABC News
Robertson Endorses Giuliani
The latest high-profile political endorsement for GOP front-runner Rudy Giuliani seemed to be the clearest indication yet that Christian conservatives may be more politically divided than ever before.
November 7, 2007 - The Associated Press
Analysis: Right Splinters on GOP Field
The splintering of prominent Christian conservatives over the Republican presidential contenders reflects a schism — between the dogma of God, guns and gays and the desire to beat Hillary Rodham Clinton.
November 2, 2007 - The Boston Globe
Kerry Says Religion Has Place in Politics
Senator John F. Kerry defended the place of religious discussion in American political life yesterday, even as the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee decried the "unitary assertion of rectitude by certain Christian figures" and the "exploitation of religion" he said played a role in his loss to President Bush, who garnered disproportionate support from the most devout voters.
November 1, 2007 - The Associated Press
Kerry Urges White House Hopefuls to Talk about Their Faith
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., says presidential candidates should share with voters how their personal faith shapes their public policies - but they need to do it sooner rather than later in the race.
November 1, 2007 - The Economist
In God's Name
An 18-page special report on religion and politics.
November 1, 2007 - Religion News Service
Kerry Laments Faith Missteps in 2004 Race
In 2004, then-presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., didn't make his religious background and convictions clear to the public, he said Thursday (Nov.1), and paid a price for it.
November 1, 2007 - Wichita Eagle
'Evangelical Crackup' Is a Shift in Approach
The no-compromise attitude of Christian fundamentalism has cost religious conservatives their prominent place at the political table. Now, the Republican Party, which has been a second home to fundamentalists, is offering them few comfortable presidential choices.
October 31, 2007 - CBS News
Democrats Keep The Faith
Democratic presidential hopefuls show more zeal in courting religious voters than their GOP rivals.
October 30, 2007 - Slate
Turkey Threatens To Jump
Ankara beat Congress; now it's taking on the Bush administration.
October 28, 2007 - The New York Times
The Evangelical Crackup
The hundred-foot white cross atop the Immanuel Baptist Church in downtown Wichita, Kan., casts a shadow over a neighborhood of payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pornographic video stores.
October 27, 2007 - The Washington Post
Political Tide Turning
Experts watching the 2008 presidential election say they see ferment in a segment of the population that has long been more likely to vote Republican: religious Americans.
October 26, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal
Adding Values: Will the Religious Agenda Grow?
"Values are insubstantial stuff, existing primarily in the imagination," Allan Bloom wrote in "The Closing of the American Mind" (1987).
October 24, 2007 - Scripps Howard News Service
Young Evangelicals Differ from Their Elders
Jim Wallis and Richard Land were preaching to the same flock, but their sermons at the recent "Values Voters Summit" reached very different conclusions.
October 23, 2007 - The Washington Times
Cardinal Pick Shows Hispanic Clout
The Vatican's selection of Houston as the see for its newest American cardinal speaks volumes about the importance of Hispanics to the future U.S. Catholic Church.
October 21, 2007 - C-SPAN2
D. Michael Lindsay's "Faith in the halls of Power" and Hanna Rosin's "God's Harvard"
D. Michael Lindsay interviewed over 100 evangelical Christian men and women in the field of business, politics and entertainment and explores their ascendancy in their respective fields. Hanna Rosin profiles Patrick Henry College, an evangelical school that considers itself the Christian equal to the Ivy League. D. Michael Lindsay and Hanna Rosin discuss their books at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in Washington, DC.
October 21, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
Religious Right's Giuliani Dilemma
For the leaders of the religious right, the dilemma is obvious and troubling: how to deal with a Republican presidential front-runner when he is not with you on your core issues and you haven't agreed on an alternative.
October 20, 2007 - The Politico
Poll Finds Thompson Appeals to Churchgoers
Fred Thompson may have failed to impress Beltway insiders when he finally launched his run for the White House last month, but he is winning over a critical segment of the Republican coalition, new polling suggests.
October 19, 2007 - The Associated Press
Religious Conservatives Still Deciding
Religious and cultural conservatives, a political force skeptical of the leading Republican presidential candidates, are caught in a tug of war between pragmatism and ideology.
October 16, 2007 - The Associated Press
Obama Reaches Out to Religious Voters
The invitation appeared one Sunday in Joanna Chase's church bulletin: Come to a "faith forum" and join a conversation about the intersection of religion and politics.
October 15, 2007 - The Detroit News
Nativity Dispute Divides Berkley
Christmas may be weeks away, but a quarrel that has become an annual holiday tradition across America is in full swing: heated disputes over religious displays on public property.
October 15, 2007 - Dallas Morning News
In Evangelical Politics, a Generation Gap
Younger voters more concerned about environment, health care.
October 14, 2007 - Los Angeles Times
Church Divide over Gays Has a Global Audience
As Episcopalians and Anglicans wait to see if their fractious global fellowship will splinter or hold together in a long-running conflict over homosexuality and the Bible, other denominations are watching nervously.
October 12, 2007 - PBS Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
The Evangelical Dilemma
John Green, senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, explains why the traditionally Republican evangelical Christian voting bloc is fractured in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election (video interview).
October 11, 2007 - The Associated Press
Clinton Faces Men, Glass Ceiling in Iowa
For Hillary Rodham Clinton to win Iowa, she'll have to get past the men challenging her for the Democratic presidential nomination and the state's tradition of turning a cold shoulder to female candidates.
October 11, 2007 - Religion News Service
Scholars Say Evangelicals and Their Votes Are Shifting
The face of evangelicalism is changing, two authors at the Pew Research Center said Thursday (Oct. 11), and with that change comes uncertainty about who evangelicals will vote for in next year's presidential election.
October 10, 2007 - The Associated Press
American Atheists Will Be Among Friends at Group's Annual Convention
Americans may dislike atheists, but for one weekend those who don't believe in God will find sanctuary here.
October 10, 2007 - The Associated Press
A Decade Later, Oregon Still the Only State with Assisted Suicide
A decade after Oregon became the first state to allow physician-assisted suicide, it remains the only one.
October 8, 2007 - Religion News Service
Conservatives Serious About to Threat to Bolt GOP
Tony Perkins, the president of the powerful Family Research Council, said he wasn't joking when he and other social conservatives threatened to back a third-party candidate for president if Rudolph Giuliani wins the Republican nomination -- even if it helps elect Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton.
October 8, 2007 - CNN
Obama: GOP Doesn't Own Faith Issue
Republicans no longer have a firm grip on religion in political discourse, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama told Sunday worshippers.
October 7, 2007 - The New York Times
For a Trusty Voting Bloc, a Faith Shaken
After the 2004 elections, religious conservatives were riding high.
October 5, 2007 - The Boston Globe
Romney Increases Overtures to Disenchanted Evangelicals
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has stepped up his efforts to woo evangelicals in response to the threat by some Christian conservative leaders to back a third-party candidate.
October 4, 2007 - TIME
Still Looking For Mr. Right
One thing the Council for National Policy (CNP) is never supposed to do is make news.
October 3, 2007 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
This Presidential Campaign, Burke's Rebukes Snare Giuliani
As the 2008 presidential campaign revs up, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke is reprising his role from 2004.
October 2, 2007 - The Washington Times
Young Evangelicals Diverge from GOP
Young evangelical Protestants continue to cling closely to their bedrock conservative values. Yet they are abandoning trust in the White House and straying from the Republican Party, according to an analysis that tracked waning sentiments from 2001 to 2007.
September 30, 2007 - McClatchy News Service
Influence of Christian Right in the GOP Wanes
Palm Sunday two years ago was a glorious day for Christian conservatives.
September 25, 2007 - Religion News Service
Media, Experience Shape Views of Muslims, Mormons
The media and personal experience rank as the top two influences on people's perceptions of Muslims and Mormons, a survey released Tuesday (Sept. 25) said.
September 25, 2007 - Los Angeles Times
Knowledge Lacking of Islam, Mormonism
Most Americans say they know little to nothing about the practices of Islam and Mormonism but say their own religious beliefs have little in common with either of these faiths, according to a national survey released Tuesday.
September 23, 2007 - The Baltimore Sun
Same-sex marriage: Issue Too Hot to Be Taken on Faith
Religious leaders in Maryland are sharply divided on the question of same-sex marriage, a fact that is likely to weigh heavily in an anticipated debate on the issue this winter in the General Assembly.
September 22, 2007 - The Associated Press
Finding a Faith that Fits
They're in a new country, working a new job and living a new life, but for Latin American immigrants who come to the United States every year, going to church doesn't have to be any different from worshipping back home.
September 22, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Legal Groups Putting God on the Docket
Whether they like it or loathe it, most Americans recognize the American Civil Liberties Union as a constitutional watchdog.
September 22, 2007 - The Associated Press
Christian Right Looks to Rebound
Headed into the 2008 election season, Christian conservatives are weary.
September 20, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
John Edwards: Working-Class Values and a Closely Held Faith
A major address on poverty would seem an ideal place for a Democratic presidential hopeful to toss in a mention of religious faith, particularly if he was on a ticket that narrowly lost the 2004 election to so-called "values voters."
September 18, 2007 - The Washington Times
Candidates Invite New Questions About Their Faith
Sen. John McCain's announcement this weekend that he's been a practicing Baptist rather than an Episcopalian for the last 15 years may not garner any extra votes, but it's certain to win him and his presidential campaign plenty of scrutiny.
September 16, 2007 - The Washington Post
For Romney, It's Not His Father's Campaign
Almost 40 years ago, a 21-year-old Mitt Romney watched as his father's presidential campaign stumbled to a halt. George Romney's 1968 bid for the White House failed for several reasons -- his notorious remark that U.S. generals had brainwashed him into supporting the Vietnam War, the surprise entry into the race of fellow liberal Republican Nelson Rockefeller, Richard M. Nixon's establishment appeal. But his Mormonism wasn't among them.
September 14, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Still God's Own Party?
People in a recent Pew Research Center survey perceived Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani as the least religious of all the presidential candidates.
September 13, 2007 - Associated Press Newswires
Churches Recruiting Latin American Clergy to Serve Hispanics
They're in a new country, working a new job and living a new life, but for the Latin American immigrants who come to the United States every year, going to church doesn't have to be any different from worshipping back home.
September 12, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
Faith's Role on the Rise in Campaign '08
For people who've tuned into this year's presidential debates, it's clear the candidates aren't hesitant to talk religion. Apparently, that makes a lot of sense.
September 11, 2007 - Irish Independent
NYC will Mark 9/11 Anniversary in Restrained Manner
Church bells will toll at 8.46am in New York -- the moment the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Centre -- as politicians including Rudolph Giuliani and Hillary Clinton join rescuers and victims' relatives near Ground Zero.
September 9, 2007 - The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Candidates' Faith Matters to Americans
Americans still believe that it's important for a president to have strong religious beliefs, a new study shows.
September 8, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun
Growing Up Muslim
Four teens say they appreciate most things Canadian; freedom of speech is near the top.
September 7, 2007 - Chicago Sun-Times
Keeping the Faith: Republicans Still Seen As More God-Friendly
Despite a push by Democratic presidential candidates to talk about faith, Republicans are still viewed as more God-friendly, according to a new survey.
September 6, 2007 - Associated Press Newswires
Poll: Clinton, Giuliani Least Religious
People view Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rudy Giuliani as the least religious of the major presidential candidates, according to a poll released Thursday. Mitt Romney was seen as most religious, but his Mormonism may hurt him with voters.
September 6, 2007 - Reuters News
Religion Not Clear-Cut Issue in White House Race
Religion is not proving to be a clear-cut factor in the 2008 U.S. White House race, taking a back seat to the Iraq war and domestic issues, but most Americans still feel faith is an important attribute in their president, according to a survey released on Thursday.
September 6, 2007 - The New York Times
Rev. D. James Kennedy, Broadcaster, Dies at 76
The Rev. D. James Kennedy, a Christian broadcaster and the pastor of a Florida megachurch who played a critical role in the rise of conservative Christianity, died yesterday at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 76.
September 6, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
A Mosque in America's Heartland
From Interstate 75, the sight is striking: A gleaming white mosque with twin minarets in the classical Islamic style rises out of the Ohio countryside.
September 5, 2007 - Religion News Service
D. James Kennedy Dies at 76
The Rev. D. James Kennedy, a Florida minister who took to the airwaves and became a force in driving conservative Christians into the public square, died Wednesday after months of serious illness.
September 5, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Legal Groups Putting God on the Docket
Whether they like it or loathe it, most Americans recognize the American Civil Liberties Union as a constitutional watchdog. Far fewer know of the American Center for Law and Justice, a leader in the flourishing field of Christian legal advocacy that may be less famous but is no less determined to see its views prevail in the nation's courts and, ultimately, its culture.
September 4, 2007 - The Dallas Morning News
The GOP and Latino Evangelicals
Candidates' Immigration Views Could Alienate a Natural Group of Supporters
September 1, 2007 - Associated Press Newswires
Hispanics, American Indians Power Pentecostal Growth
It is noon on a hot Tucson Sunday in August. Though the lights and air conditioning have just gone out in the New Life Ministry/Ministerios Vida Nueva, hundreds of people continue to pour into its worship space.
September 1, 2007 - The Toledo Blade
Interfaith Classes Look at Hot-Button Issues: Retired Professor Inspired by Trip Around the World
After 33 years as a college English professor, Tom Klein decided to retire from Bowling Green State University.
August 31, 2007 - Reuters News
U.S. Churches Reach Out With Coffee, Roller Rinks
SonRise Community Church had been operating without a building for nearly a decade when Pastor Jeff Arington saw the perfect property: an old restaurant on the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio.
August 28, 2007 - Associated Press Newswires
Hispanic Churches Add English Services
On Sundays at La Casa del Carpintero, or the Carpenter's House, they raise twin yellow banners for churchgoers that read "Welcome" and "Bienvenidos."
August 28, 2007 - The Miami Herald
Politics Will Get Church's Rear Pew
"People like Rev. Kennedy are likely to have a bigger impact through their religious ministries and the schools that they found than through their political action, as important as the political action was," said John Green, senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. "The churches and ministries and schools are much more permanent."
August 27, 2007 - The Salt Lake Tribune
Romney to Skip the Mormon Speech?
Political pundits have been clamoring for Mitt Romney to give his big I'm-a-Mormon-but-it's-OK speech, like President Kennedy did about his Catholic faith in 1960.
August 26, 2007 - The Record
Romney Raises Profile of N.J. Mormons
"The data suggests most people don't know very much about the Latter-day Saints, and what they end up knowing often seems distressing or unusual or strange," said John Green, a senior fellow with the Pew Forum. "But any religion can look strange when you're unfamiliar with it; religion makes claims about cosmic topics."
August 25, 2007 - Arizona Daily Star
Hispanics Power Tucson's Pentecostal Growth Spurt
Indians, recovering addicts also drawn to evangelical faith.
August 24, 2007 - FOX News
Up for Grabs? (video)
Democratic candidates aren’t willing to concede faith-based voters to Republicans.
August 23, 2007 - Associated Press
Hispanic Churches Turn to English to Target U.S.-born Latinos, Broader Community
A survey earlier this year by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that 77 percent of first-generation, churchgoing Hispanics in the United States choose churches with Hispanic clergy, Spanish-language services and a mostly Hispanic congregation. But as Hispanics become more established in this country, the hold loosens: 53 percent of second-generation Latinos attend ethnic congregations, while the numbers drop to 42 percent for the third generation and higher.
August 23, 2007 - ABC News
Evangelicals Go Green -- Will Conservative Candidates Follow Suit?
Evangelical Christians are getting religion on the environment, and it may shift their allegiance away from Republican candidates.
August 19, 2007 - The Dallas Morning News
Security Could Override Social Issues As Religious Right Considers Giuliani
If Ruth Jones could build her perfect Republican presidential nominee, it wouldn't be Rudy Giuliani.
August 16, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
Can US Diplomacy Get Religion?
In much of the world, religion – not ideology – is the prime motivator propelling people and events, often leading to violence. Congress had a sense of that a decade ago when it began considering how the US might better promote religious freedom and tolerance in its foreign policy. It's a subject worth revisiting.
August 16, 2007 - USA Today
Biggest Donor Areas Go For Dems
Democrats seeking the White House have received more than four times as much money from some of the nation's wealthiest enclaves as party contenders did in 2003, an analysis of campaign-finance records shows.
August 13, 2007 - Financial Times
Romney Gets Lift in Iowa Straw Poll
Pots of money aside, one factor above all helped bring victory to Mitt Romney in Saturday's informal Iowa "straw poll" of Republican presidential candidates - a reputation for competence.
August 11, 2007 - The Sydney Morning Herald
A Non-Believer - Say It Isn't So
You can be gay, black or even a woman, but America will not tolerate a president who has no religion.
August 10, 2007 - CBS Evening News
Romney's Religion (video)
More than 45 years after John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic to win the presidency, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, is facing questions about his religion. Jeff Greenfield reports.
August 6, 2007 - Reuters
Preaching Transformation, U.S. Sect Goes Global
Pentecostalism, a lively evangelical Christian movement that took off a century ago in Los Angeles, is one of the world's fastest-growing sects, with dedicated followings in places as far-flung as Brazil, Kenya and South Korea. "It may be the single most dynamic religious movement in the world, not just within Christianity," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
August 1, 2007 - The Morning Call
Hispanic Conversion
Pentecostalism, the largest and fastest-growing evangelical church, is a denomination that thrives on Latino converts. One quarter of all the world's Christians are now Pentecostals, said Pew Forum Director Luis Lugo. "That amounts to a transformation of Christianity."
July 28, 2007 - The New York Times
Scholar Becomes Chief Explainer in a 'Mormon Moment'
With the presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney, Richard Bushman is being thrust further into the public spotlight, becoming the nation’s chief defender and explainer of Mormonism.
July 27, 2007 - BBC News
Could Christian Vote Desert Republicans?
America's so-called "religious right" has been one of the pillars of Republican Party support in recent decades, but signs are emerging that those once secure foundations might be shifting.
July 25, 2007 - NBC News
Number of Hispanic Evangelicals Growing (video)
The vast majority of Hispanics in this country - 68 percent - are Catholics, but that number used to be higher. NBC's Don Teague reports why a growing number are drawn to a different way of worship.
July 25, 2007 - Newsweek
American Dreamers
Muslim Americans are one of this country's greatest strengths. But they're vulnerable as never before.
July 23, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Evangelicals, Muslims Start Rare Dialogue
"These interfaith dialogues often take a long time to produce any tangible results," said John Green, a senior fellow at The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. "The evangelicals have had similar dialogues with the Jewish community and with Roman Catholics. The impediments to cooperation between evangelicals and Muslims are much larger, but more understanding could have a much greater effect."
July 23, 2007 - CNN
Democratic Candidates Trying to Reach Religious Voters
Tired of being seen by religious voters as too secular or even hostile toward religion, the Democrat party and its presidential candidates have launched an all-out effort to win their votes.
July 22, 2007 - The New York Times
God '08: Whose, and How Much, Will Voters Accept?
The religion test imposed by voters has evolved over the years, said John C. Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
July 20, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal
The Dems' Fate: On the Left Wing and a Prayer
In their contribution to a new book from the Brookings Institution called "Faith Matters," Pew fellow John C. Green and three other scholars compare what they call "the core religious left" and secular liberals.
July 20, 2007 - BBC News
Must the U.S. President Believe in God?
The most unpredictable presidential race for a generation is well under way in the US, and so far, issues of personal faith have never been far from the headlines.
July 20, 2007 - Los Angeles Times
A Fight for GOP 'Family Values' Banner
"In many ways, the Romney campaign and the emerging Thompson campaign are on a collision course when it comes to campaigning for this constituency of conservative Christians," said John C. Green, senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
July 16, 2007 - The Denver Post
Romney's Faith Faces Skeptism
Researchers at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life say a survey they conducted in February found that 30 percent of U.S. adults were less likely to support a Mormon for president. Most of that 30 percent, said Pew senior fellow John Green, are evangelical Christians.
July 15, 2007 - U.S. News & World Report
Thompson Reaches to the Right
"If he gets strong support from evangelicals, Thompson could reshape the race," says the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life's John Green.
July 13, 2007 - Religion News Service
Poll Says Muslims, Evangelicals Closer Than Many Might Think
Muslim-Americans and white evangelicals find themselves on opposite sides of many issues but have more in common than other religious groups when it comes to religious fervor, scriptural literalism and social morality, according to a new report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
July 12, 2007 - TIME
Leveling the Praying Field
The Democratic front runners are leading their party's crusade to win over religious voters.
July 7, 2007 - The New York Times
Faith Intertwines With Political Life for Clinton
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has increasingly been alluding to her spiritual life, but she has come under attack for it.
July 6, 2007 - Christianity Today
Gospel Riches
Of Africa's 890 million people, 147 million are now "renewalists" (a term that includes both Pentecostals and charismatics), according to a 2006 Pew Forum on Religion and Public life study. They make up more than a fourth of Nigeria's population, more than a third of South Africa's, and a whopping 56 percent of Kenya's.
July 5, 2007 - NPR
Romney Faces Uphill Battle for Evangelical Voters
Nearly a half-century after John F. Kennedy broke the Catholic barrier to the presidency, Mitt Romney is attempting a similar feat.
July 5, 2007 - New Statesman
My Fellow American Muslims . . .
In the words of Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, "Muslim Americans are very much like the rest of the country" and "do not see a conflict between being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society."
July 3, 2007 - Catholic News Service
Don't Be Afraid of Charismatics, Leaders Tell Their Fellow Catholics
A recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 62 percent of Catholic Hispanics at least occasionally attend Masses that have "displays of excitement and enthusiasm, such as raising hands, clapping, shouting or jumping."
July 3, 2007 - The Hill
Groups Say Death Penalty Flaws Merge in Georgia Case
The last Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), was against the death penalty, but the three leading contenders for the Democratic nomination this year support capital punishment, although all three have also lobbied for some reforms, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
June 30, 2007 - Wichita Eagle
Hispanic Reformation
The number of Spanish-speaking evangelicals is growing, in Wichita and across the U.S.
June 29, 2007 - The Washington Post
Op-Ed: The Gospel Of Obama
Obama is clearly more fluent on religious issues than most in his party. But to appeal broadly to religious voters, he will need to be more than the candidate of the religious left.
June 28, 2007 - Stateline.org
La. Passes New Partial-Birth Abortion Ban
"States can and should pass state partial-birth abortion laws in the model of the federal law," said anti-abortion activist Cathy Cleaver Ruse of the Family Research Council at a recent event sponsored by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
June 28, 2007 - The Buffalo News
Rep. Slaughter Pilots Democratic Party's Course on Abortion
Politically, though, the search for a middle ground on abortion could bear fruit for Clinton or any other Democrat who attempts it in the presidential race, said John C. Green, a University of Akron political scientist and senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
June 27, 2007 - Catholic News Service
Arms and Spirits High, Charismatic Catholics Mark 40 Years of Praise
A 2006 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life study of Pentecostal and charismatic movements in 10 countries found that in three nations studied – Guatemala, Kenya and Brazil – more than half the population engages in religious worship that fits what Pew called the "renewalist" movement.
June 27, 2007 - Salon
Rudy Amid the Evangelicals
In a survey released on June 4, Pew found that most Americans are still largely ignorant of Giuliani's stance on abortion. "Because this whole issue had come to our attention, the respondents were specifically asked if they knew Giuliani's position on abortion. Some did, but the larger portion didn't," says John C. Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life.
June 27, 2007 - Reuters
Pentecostals Buckle Up Africa's Bible Belt
The U.S. Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life says Pentecostalism is growing globally, with a quarter of the world's 2 billion Christians thought to be members of these faiths that emphasize speaking in tongues, divine healing, prophesy and a strongly literal interpretation of Bible stories.
June 26, 2007 - The Politico
Huckabee's Run Hinges on his Running
The first thing to come up, as it often is with now-svelte Mike Huckabee, is food. Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is introducing the former Arkansas governor to a group of reporters at a luncheon discussion.
June 26, 2007 - The Toronto Star
Canadian Gay Marriage Vote Blow to U.S. Anglicans
"The action of the Canadian Anglican Church will further isolate the leadership of the U.S. Episcopal Church within the worldwide Anglican communion," said John Green, senior fellow in religion and American politics at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
June 22, 2007 - Los Angeles Times
Red and Blue in the Black
John C. Green's The Faith Factor explores the changing dynamics of religion and national politics.
June 22, 2007 - The Miami Herald
Evangelicals Make Inroads in Guatemala
A survey carried out last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 34 percent of Guatemalans identified themselves as Protestant, compared to 48 percent Catholic.
June 20, 2007 - The Baltimore Sun
Op-Ed: Evangelical Voters May Not Help GOP
Religious politics today is less about "denomination than differences in attendance and beliefs," says political scientist John C. Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Center on Religion and Public Life and author of The Faith Factor.
June 16, 2007 - Associated Press
As GOP Courts Evangelicals, Some Pastors Decry Partisanship
"There is a long history of dissent among Southern Baptists, so the discordant voices about politics are not necessarily a harbinger of change," said John Green, a senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
June 13, 2007 - The Washington Post
Op-Ed: Atypical Evangelical
"Being a conservative is also about having a much broader agenda than the very narrowly focused one that sometimes conservatives are either accused of or -- frankly -- can be guilty of," Huckabee said last week at a luncheon hosted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
June 12, 2007 - Cox News Service
Atheist Books Intensify Battles in Cultural Wars
John Green, senior fellow at the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life, says America's "nonreligious population" — agnostics, atheists and those who don't identify with organized religion — doubled in the past decade to roughly 13 percent.
June 11, 2007 - Congressional Quarterly
Converting the Faith Community
Religious activists are involved in a wider sphere of issues, including poverty, the environment and human rights. That broader agenda, said political scientist John Green of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, gives candidates such as Edwards, Clinton and Obama more opportunities to connect with religious voters.
June 11, 2007 - Reuters
Mormons in the Spotlight
Thirty percent of Americans surveyed by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in February said they would be less likely to back a Mormon for president, while 46 percent in a Gallup poll said they had an unfavorable opinion of Mormons.
June 10, 2007 - Los Angeles Times
Op-Ed: Sunday Drivers
According to a 2006 Pew Forum survey, 60% of white evangelicals believe the Bible should have more influence on U.S. laws than the will of the people. But are they willing to live by that?
June 9, 2007 - Associated Press
Poll and New Report Show Frustration of Young Muslims in the U.S.
A show of sympathy for suicide bombers among some young American Muslims has raised new concerns about homegrown extremism, but also is highlighting calls to engage the nation's growing Muslim population
June 8, 2007 - The Boston Globe
Op-Ed: Piety on Parade
Seven in 10 voters think a president should have strong religious views, according to several surveys by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
June 8, 2007 - Associated Baptist Press
Huckabee Denounces Influence of Cash, Evolution Queries in GOP Race
Huckabee, in a wide-ranging discussion with a group of Washington reporters assembled by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, had words of warning for some of his ideological cohorts.
June 8, 2007 - Newsweek
Op-Ed: God and Mike Huckabee
The former Arkansas governor is an ordained Baptist minister who has eloquently handled questions about evolution in the GOP debates. But he’s languishing in the polls. He thinks social conservatives could become irrelevant in the Republican Party. Is he right?
June 8, 2007 - Congressional Quarterly
Huckabee Stands By Views — But Says Campaign is Presidential, Not Theological
Huckabee told reporters — at a forum held by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life to discuss social conservatism — that he is hardly “ashamed” or hesitant to discuss his beliefs.
June 8, 2007 - McClatchy Newspapers
Faith Moves Huckabee in Ways Different from Other Christian Conservatives
From the first time he waded into politics, Huckabee said during a lunch this week at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, he's been asked about his religion.
June 7, 2007 - The Washington Times
Huckabee Warns Christians not to Abandon Principles
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said yesterday at a Pew Forum event that Christian conservatives will become "irrelevant" to the political process if they give up their core convictions for expediency's sake.
June 6, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
Can the Religious Left Sway the '08 Race?
"When you look at religious progressives, generally, they come in many different varieties," says John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
June 5, 2007 - Christianity Today
The Giuliani Choice
In a March survey, 27 percent of self-identified evangelical Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters said they favored Giuliani among the likely and announced gop presidential contenders. Senator John McCain followed in second place with 23 percent in the polling, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and analyzed by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
June 3, 2007 - St. Petersburg Times
So American,Yet So Foreign
In a recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 30 percent of Americans said they would be less likely to vote for a Mormon for president.
June 2, 2007 - The Baltimore Sun
Christian Bloc Sees Cracks
John Green of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life sees "a great deal of foment." "Given that up until recently, the Republicans held both houses of Congress as well as the White House, many [conservative evangelicals] had expected a bit more progress on their agenda," he said.
June 1, 2007 - Associated Press
Religion and Politics Go Hand-in-Hand in 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign
"To many Americans, religion is a very important part of their life and they are interested in how religiosity influences candidates," said John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. "Where this election cycle is different is that more of the Democratic candidates are speaking out about their faith, and they've organized their campaigns to appeal to religious voters."
May 29, 2007 - National Journal
Abortion Wars Return
In various polls over the past three decades, about 60 percent of the population has consistently said it would support some restrictions on abortion, according to David Masci, a senior research fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
May 28, 2007 - The Politico
Social Conservatives Bite Bullet, Back Rudy
Widespread perceptions that Giuliani is the most electable Republican in this year's field are driving his support among social conservatives, according to the analysis by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
May 25, 2007 - Newsweek
Op-Ed: Media Coverage of Muslims Bombs
A Pew poll on Muslims in America painted a positive picture. So why was the coverage so negative?
May 24, 2007 - Radio Free Europe
Poll Finds Muslims Embracing The 'American Dream'
A new poll finds that Muslims who have immigrated to the United States are integrating smoothly into society and pursuing citizenship. RFE/RL correspondent Andrew Tully in Washington asked Luis Lugo, the director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, what the poll results mean.
May 24, 2007 - USA Today
Speaking in Tongues: Faith's Language Barrier?
According to a recent Pew Forum poll, renewalists are the fastest-growing religious group, approximately one-fourth of the world's 2 billion Christians. In the USA, 23% of Christians say they are renewalists.
May 23, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor
In Many Ways, U.S. Muslims Are in Mainstream America
"Next to the yearly pilgrimage to [Mecca], this has to be the most representative community in the world!" says Luis Lugo, director of Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
May 23, 2007 - The Sacramento Bee
Study Finds Most Embrace America, Denounce Extremism
"Here, beliefs are very mainstream, in stark contrast to Muslims in Europe," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
May 23, 2007 - San Francisco Chronicle
'Troubling' Views on Suicide Bombings
"This is not a picture of an alienated community," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a division of the Pew Research Center that helped conduct the poll.
May 23, 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Poll Takes Post-9/11 Pulse of Muslims in America
"There's a lot of disaffection among Muslims in Europe," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. "Compared to European Muslims, American Muslims look very moderate and mainstream."
May 23, 2007 - The Washington Post
Survey: U.S. Muslims Assimilated, Opposed to Extremism
Unlike Muslim minorities in many European countries, U.S. Muslims are highly assimilated, close to parity with other Americans in income and overwhelmingly opposed to Islamic extremism, according to the first major, nationwide random survey of Muslims.
May 22, 2007 - NPR
Pew Study Sees Muslim Americans Assimilating
Muslim Americans have integrated into society far better than European Muslims, but there appear to be significant pockets of disaffection — especially among the young and religious.
May 22, 2007 - USA Today
Poll: Most Muslims Seek to Adopt American Lfestyle
The Pew Research Center study released Tuesday found that "Muslim Americans are very much like the rest of the country," says Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. "They do not see a conflict between being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society."
May 22, 2007 - Detriot Free Press
Nearly 80% of U.S. Muslims Call Suicide Bombings Unjustifiable
Twenty-six percent of young Muslims living in the United States say suicide bombings in the defense of Islam can be justified, according to a major study of American Muslims released today.
May 22, 2007 - BBC News
Muslims 'Well Integrated' in U.S.
Muslim Americans are largely integrated in US society and moderate in their views, a nationwide survey suggests.
May 22, 2007 - International Herald Tribune
Muslims Assimilate Better in U.S. than Western Europe, Poll Finds
A new poll of American Muslims reveals a group that is better assimilated, more content and