The Association of Religion Data Archives

Religion as a Cultural Identity (Part 2): The Surprising Reality of “Cultural Judaism” Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Religion as a Cultural Identity (Part 2): The Surprising Reality of “Cultural Judaism” ; Date: 2026-02-19

Read the full column now at www.thearda.com/categories/a....

Here are the latest data visualizations from the #AheadOfTheTrend column, "Religion as a Cultural Identity (Part 2): The Surprising Reality of 'Cultural Judaism'”

The article highlights differences in data from three groups: Religious Jews, Secular Jews, and Cultural Jews.

Link in the comments!

Teaching with Data: A Social Sciences Open Educational Resources Sampler As instructors, we often want our learners to think critically and consider whether data support the assertions being made in media or textbooks. But finding data and designing...

In recognition of Open Education Week, the ARDA will be presenting at @virginiatech.bsky.social Library's "Teaching with Data: A Social Sciences Open Educational Resources Sampler."

Join us to learn more about the ARDA's Teaching Tools and how they can be integrated in class settings.

@ryanburge.bsky.social will be leading a conversation in Indianapolis this Sunday, March 1, at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church about the transformation of American religion over the last 50 years. If you are local to Indy, be sure to check out this event.

Learn more at tabpres.org/ryan-burge-t....

Religion as a Cultural Identity (Part 2): The Surprising Reality of “Cultural Judaism” Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Religion as a Cultural Identity (Part 2): The Surprising Reality of “Cultural Judaism” ; Date: 2026-02-19

Religion as a Cultural Identity: The Surprising Reality of “Cultural Judaism”

The latest #AheadOfTheTrend continues to analyze data from @pewresearch.org to dig more deeply into the idea of cultural Judaism and Catholicism. This article tests whether religious attendance varies in the groups.

If you are an early career scholar studying American religion, apply for this incredible opportunity!

Online Course | Teaching Resources | Teaching Exploring Religion is an online course divided into 15 sessions that allows students to explore religion throughout America and across the globe

Have you taken the ARDA's online course? Exploring Religion is a free college-level offering that allows students to explore religion in America and around the globe. Sessions include readings, video interviews, guided exercises, and discussions. The course is asynchronous and entirely virtual.

Cultural Jews and Cultural Catholics? Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Cultural Jews and Cultural Catholics? ; Date: 2026-02-05

Cultural Jews and Cultural Catholics?

The latest #AheadOfTheTrend column looks at data comparing religion as faith tradition versus cultural identity. In this piece, @ryanburge.bsky.social analyzes survey data from @pewresearch.org on cultural Jews and Catholics.

Interactive Display | Timelines | US Religion Interactive Historical Timelines of US Religion With Details On People, Events and Movements

Interactively explore major events, issues, and people relating to racial minorities in the history of American religion. ARDA’s "Race/Ethnicity and Religion Timeline" places a wealth of information—including text, pictures, and graphs—within historical context.

Find the free resource below.

Spreading the Word: How Americans Share Their Faith

Americans differ greatly in the degree to which they share their religious faith. This Jr./Sr. High learning module will explore how Americans share their faith with others and look at some of the general differences by race, gender, and religious tradition.

Explore the free module on the ARDA!

Do Americans Care Who Their Boss Is? Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Do Americans Care Who Their Boss Is? ; Date: 2026-01-22

Read the full analysis of this and other #AheadOfTheTrend articles: www.thearda.com/categories/a....

Check out the data visualizations from the latest #AheadOfTheTrend, Do Americans Care Who Their Boss Is?

Head to the ARDA site for the full analysis and insights from the @pewresearch.org dataset. (Link in the comments!)

Lilly Endowment is inviting proposals for its new Exploring Christian Practices Initiative. This opportunity aims to build and enhance programs that help individuals address their spiritual interests, find and build community with others, and nourish their religious lives.

Find out more below!

Do Americans Care Who Their Boss Is? Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Do Americans Care Who Their Boss Is? ; Date: 2026-01-22

Do Americans Care Who Their Boss Is?

In the latest installment of #AheadOfTheTrend, we look to see if data shows whether workers prefer to have a boss of the same gender as themselves. Do the responses reflect views that are frequently shaped, at least in part, by religious teachings?

Join us tomorrow (1/22) for Religion & Podcasts As Public Engagement, the first #ReligionAnd of 2026! We will be hosting the conversation at a special time (12 p.m. Eastern) via Zoom with panelists who host podcasts on American religion.

Register today at raac.indianapolis.iu.edu/programs/rel....

Crime and Religion

Does religion prevent individuals from committing crimes? How does religion shape an individual’s perception of crime and deviance? These are the type of questions sociologists ask and that this college-level learning module will explore.

Download the free Learning Module on the ARDA.

Leveraging Data Resources for Civic Organizing The scale of the challenges facing Americans committed to a pluralistic, democratic society are national and global. However, responding to attacks on democracy does not need to be limited to a national or global scale. Researchers and movement leaders remind us that citizens and organizations can engage in some of the most influential work in defense of democracy at local and community levels.

As a Research Fellow for @kettering.org, ARDA Executive Co-Director @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social wrote a column expressing how it is vital to know who is in our communities and what their needs might be. He highlights the Community Profile Builder as a resource to help inform community leaders.

Community Profile Builder | US Religion The Community Profile Builder provides information about communities, including locations of churches in a selected area and social, economic and religious info

Discover the free Community Profile Builder at www.thearda.com/us-religion/....

Have you explored the ARDA's free Community Profile Builder resource? This tool assists church, community, and scholarly leaders in accessing online demographic and religious information about communities across the United States.

Explore the CPB today on the ARDA. (Link in the comments!)

Are Never Attenders More Secular Today? Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Are Never Attenders More Secular Today? ; Date: 2026-01-08

Are Never Attenders More Secular Today?

The latest installment of #AheadOfTheTrend utilizes data from the 2024 General Social Survey to better understand whether those who never attend services today are further removed from other measures of religiosity than in the past.

Attitudes versus Behaviors: Religion and Helping Others

Social researchers must be careful to make sure that the measures they use are valid. That is, do the questions measure what we think they measure? This free learning module will use data from the General Social Survey 2024 and 2014 to explore the differences between attitudes and behaviors.

Is Christmas a Religious Holiday? Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Is Christmas a Religious Holiday? ; Date: 2025-12-25

Is Christmas a Religious Holiday? In this special holiday edition of #AheadOfTheTrend, @ryanburge.bsky.social explores data from @prri.org on who celebrates Christmas. It may not surprise you that 87% of non-religious folks said they did.

Read the full article here and have a happy holiday!

Always Ahead of the Trend: David Briggs Maintained Accuracy and Fairness While Reporting on Religion Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Always Ahead of the Trend: David Briggs Maintained Accuracy and Fairness While Reporting on Religion ; Date: 2025-12-17

This year, David Briggs received Religion News Association’s William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award. David launched the Ahead of the Trend column in 2009 and contributed more than 200 entries.

Read our full #AheadOfTheTrend article on David's award and career at www.thearda.com/categories/a....

Community Profile Builder | US Religion The Community Profile Builder provides information about communities, including locations of churches in a selected area and social, economic and religious info

Did you know the ARDA offers in-depth guides that focus on a specific aspect of a community, like housing, education, or income? These guides offer more detailed directions for exploring all of the data Community Profile Builder's data and can be downloaded for free on our website.

The Slow Grind of Change: What the 2024 GSS Tells Us About American Religion Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: The Slow Grind of Change: What the 2024 GSS Tells Us About American Religion ; Date: 2025-12-04

The Slow Grind of Change: What the 2024 GSS Tells Us About American Religion

There are a lot of insights from the latest article of #AheadOfTheTrend that show what the 2024 General Social Survey tells us about the state of American Religion. View the data visualizations and read the full article now on the ARDA.

Identifying Patterns in Data

Identifying Patterns in Data

In this college-level learning module from the ARDA, students will identify patterns in data from various years of the General Social Survey. The module helps students analyze data on variables such as age, religion, and sex.

Download the free module below.

The Slow Grind of Change: What the 2024 GSS Tells Us About American Religion Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: The Slow Grind of Change: What the 2024 GSS Tells Us About American Religion ; Date: 2025-12-04

The Slow Grind of Change: What the 2024 GSS Tells Us About American Religion

The newest #AheadOfTheTrend examines the changes in the religious composition of the General Social Survey before the pandemic and then in the 2024 data.

Read the analysis and explore the 2024 GSS data for free!

Fire Insurance for the Afterlife? How Religion Shapes the Fear of Death Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Fire Insurance for the Afterlife? How Religion Shapes the Fear of Death ; Date: 2025-11-20

Read the full analysis for free at www.thearda.com/categories/a....

Each issue of #AheadOfTheTrend includes data visualizations to engage with survey responses, demographic information, measures of religiosity, and more.

View the latest visualizations for "How Religion Shapes the Fear of Death" and read the full analysis on the ARDA's website (link in comments).