More PRRI Chatter
Here's the FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast episode that got the new PRRI data on my radar:
I think they almost always do a good job breaking down religion numbers on this show. My biggest takeaway was the panel's sensitivity to the importance of moderate, politically mixed congregations to U.S. civil life (and a despondency that these communities are especially endangered, numerically).
I also appreciated the point early on (I make it in my dissertation as well) that we can't analyze these numbers as a purely religious phenomenon, because they so clearly parallel what's happening in all kinds of American institutional and community life since the height of the baby boom.
Finally, a favorite quote:
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Desire for belonging and meaning remains at the same level whether people are participating in organized religion or not. So if organized religion isn't there to provide answers and community, then people are just going to look for those things in other places."Will people of faith be present (and not be jerks) in the places where those folks are showing up looking?
