Latest news with #AlanCooperman
Axios
04-04-2025
- General
- Axios
Religious affiliation is shifting in Arizona
As Lent continues and Easter approaches, fewer Arizonans are observing the Christian traditions compared to decades ago, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. The big picture: "This is a broad-based social change," Alan Cooperman, the director of religion research at the nonpartisan think tank, told Axios. "We've had rising shares of people who don't identify with any religion — so-called nones — and declining shares who identify as Christian, in all parts of the country, in all parts of the population, by ethnicity and race, among both men and women, and among people at all levels of the educational spectrum." By the numbers: 58% of Arizona adults identify as Christian, according to Pew's Religious Landscape Study that surveyed more than 35,000 Americans about religious and social beliefs from 2023 to 2024. That's down from 67% in 2014 and 71% in 2007. Meanwhile, the state's religiously unaffiliated population increased from 22% (2007) to 31% (2023-2024) and those practicing a non-Christian religion rose from 4% to 10%. The intrigue: While many people are moving away from organized religion, some are embracing spirituality.
Axios
26-03-2025
- General
- Axios
Religious affiliation is shifting in Indiana
As Lent continues and Easter approaches, fewer Hoosiers are observing the Christian traditions compared to decades ago, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. The big picture:"This is a broad-based social change," Alan Cooperman, the director of religion research at the nonpartisan think tank, told Axios. "We've had rising shares of people who don't identify with any religion — so-called nones — and declining shares who identify as Christian, in all parts of the country, in all parts of the population, by ethnicity and race, among both men and women, and among people at all levels of the educational spectrum." By the numbers: 65% of Hoosiers identify as Christian, according to Pew's Religious Landscape Study that surveyed more than 35,000 Americans about religious and social beliefs. That's a steady drop from 2014 (72%) and 2007 (82%). The state's religiously unaffiliated — atheists, agnostics and those identifying as "nothing in particular" — has risen from 16% in 2007 to 31% last year. Roughly one-third of Christians statewide say they identify as Evangelical Protestant (32%), followed by Catholic (14%) and Mainline Protestant (11%). "Nothing in particular" leads the way among Indiana's religiously unaffiliated at 21%, followed by atheist at 5% and agnostic at 4%. State of pray: Researchers note that the trend away from religion is driven in large part by Gen Z and younger millennials. Yes, but: While many people are moving away from organized religion, some are embracing spirituality. About 1 in 3 adults consider themselves "very" spiritual — a number that's increased since Pew last polled on this topic in 2023. What they're saying: The line between religious and spiritual is one that Indy resident Derrick Jackson has been walking for the past few years. A Texas native, Jackson told Axios he was raised in a deeply religious household as part of a fairly strict Black Baptist family. And while he still considers himself a Christian and a spiritual person, he no longer attends any religious services. "I just realized I never had the chance to really think about my relationship with religion. I was told what to believe in, and there was no room to even consider believing in something else because it was part of everything we did," he said. "A lot of those values just don't feel like me anymore." Between the lines: A significant portion of U.S. adults (35%) have switched religions since childhood, according to the study. What we're hearing: "It's not surprising," Penny Edgell, professor in the sociology department at the University of Minnesota, tells Axios. "I think if you're more progressive, you might look at religion and say that the mainstream religious institutions don't reflect my values," particularly when it comes to topics like LGBTQ+ inclusion, she says. Case in point: Fewer self-described liberals say they're Christian (37% — down from 62% in 2007) than are religiously unaffiliated (51%), according to the Pew data.
Axios
10-03-2025
- General
- Axios
How religious is Colorado
Coloradans are less likely to identify as Christian now compared to a decade ago. Why it matters: Religiosity is a part of America's social fabric and the new findings represent "a broad-based social change," says Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at the Pew Research Center, which conducted the study. By the numbers: Christian affiliation at the state level fell from 64% to 52% in the decade ending in 2024. At the same time, people who don't identify with any religion increased significantly to 40% from 29%. In Denver, the numbers are similar at 53% Christian and 39% religiously unaffiliated. What they're saying: "We've had rising shares of people who don't identify with any religion — so-called 'nones' — and declining shares who identify as Christian, in all parts of the country, in all parts of the population, by ethnicity and race, among both men and women, and among people at all levels of the educational spectrum," Cooperman says about the survey findings. The big picture: Nationally, 29% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, up from 16% in 2007, according to Pew. And 7% of U.S. adults identify with other religions than Christianity, up from 5% in 2007. Between the lines: More than one-third of U.S. adults have switched religion since childhood, according to the study. "It's not surprising," Penny Edgell, professor in the sociology department at University of Minnesota, tells Axios. Fewer self-described liberals say they're Christian, 37% down from 62% in 2007, than are religiously unaffiliated. For conservatives, the decline is much smaller from 89% identifying as Christian to 82%.
Axios
06-03-2025
- General
- Axios
Study: Virginia is becoming less Christian
Fewer Virginians are attending church or identifying as Christian, per new 2023-24 Pew Research Center data. The big picture: "This is a broad-based social change," says Alan Cooperman, the director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. "We've had rising shares of people who don't identify with any religion — so called 'nones' — and declining shares who identify as Christian, in all parts of the country, in all parts of the population, by ethnicity and race, among both men and women, and among people at all levels of the educational spectrum," he says about the survey findings. Caveat: What researchers call a "secular surge" has plateaued in the last four years. By the numbers: 62% of Virginia residents identified as Christian in 2024, according to Pew's Religious Landscape Study. That's down from 73% in 2014. Meanwhile, 28% of residents say they are not affiliated with a religion, up from 20% in 2014. The number of Jewish Virginians is around 2%, up from 1% on 2014. Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu Virginians remained relatively flat at around 1% each. Fun fact: A quarter of Virginians who identify as Christian are Evangelical Protestant, the largest Christian denomination sub-sect in the state, followed by Mainline Protestant, how 14% of Christian Virginians worship. Zoom out: Nationally, 29% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, up from 16% in 2007, according to Pew. And 7% of U.S. adults identify with other religions, up from 5% in 2007. Between the lines: A significant portion of U.S. adults (35%) have switched religion since childhood, according to the study. What we're hearing: "It's not surprising," Penny Edgell, professor in the sociology department at University of Minnesota, tells Axios. "I think if you're more progressive, you might look at religion and say that the mainstream religious institutions don't reflect my values," particularly when it comes to topics like LGBTQ+ inclusion, she says. Case in point: Fewer self-described liberals say they're Christian (37% — down from 62% in 2007) than are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew data. There's been a much smaller decline among self-described conservatives: from 89% identifying as Christian to 82%.
Axios
05-03-2025
- General
- Axios
Fewer North Carolinians identify as religious, new survey shows
North Carolinians are less likely to identify as Christian now compared to a decade ago, per a new study. The big picture: "This is a broad-based social change," says Alan Cooperman, the director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. "We've had rising shares of people who don't identify with any religion — so called 'nones' — and declining shares who identify as Christian, in all parts of the country, in all parts of the population, by ethnicity and race, among both men and women, and among people at all levels of the educational spectrum," he says about the survey findings. Driving the news: What researchers call a "secular surge" has plateaued in the last four years, however. Nationally, the number of people who identify as Christian had been declining for more than a decade before the downward trend starting slowing in 2019, the New York Times reports. After reaching a low point of 60% in 2022, the number has grown slightly in recent years. Zoom in: Close to 70% of North Carolinians identify as Christian — more than the national average, but still down 8% from a decade ago, according to Pew's Religious Landscape Study that surveyed more than 35,000 Americans about religious and social beliefs. Around 26% percent of adults here are religiously unaffiliated, with 17% identifying as "nothing in particular." Zoom out: Nationally, 29% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, up from 16% in 2007, according to Pew. And 7% of U.S. adults identify with other religions, up from 5% in 2007. Between the lines: A significant portion of U.S. adults (35%) have switched religion since childhood, according to the study. What we're hearing: "It's not surprising," Penny Edgell, professor in the sociology department at University of Minnesota, tells Axios. "I think if you're more progressive, you might look at religion and say that the mainstream religious institutions don't reflect my values," particularly when it comes to topics like LGBTQ+ inclusion, she says. Case in point: Fewer self-described liberals say they're Christian (37% — down from 62% in 2007) than are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew data. There's been a much smaller decline among self-described conservatives: from 89% identifying as Christian to 82%.
