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Association of Religion Data Archives (ICPSR 148)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-08

Geographic coverage: United States

The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) strives to democratize access to the best data on religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997 and going online in 1998, the initial archive was targeted at researchers interested in American religion. The targeted audience and the data collection have both greatly expanded since 1998, now including American and international collections and developing features for educators, journalists, religious congregations, and researchers. Data included in the ARDA are submitted by the foremost religion scholars and research centers in the world. The ARDA collection includes data on churches and church membership, religious professionals, and religious groups. Users can download data files, perform custom analyses, and review related codebooks online. Currently housed in the Social Science Research Institute at the Pennsylvania State University, the ARDA is funded by the Lilly Endowment, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Pennsylvania State University.

Curated

Jewish School Study, 2001 [United States] (ICPSR 4550)

Released/updated on: 2009-06-11

Geographic coverage: United States, Chicago, Illinois

The Jewish School Study was undertaken to determine the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of Jewish education, how Jewish day schools are formed and organized, how Jewish schools contribute to the maintenance of continuity of a 400-year tradition, how adolescent Jews develop their identity, and what role religious education plays in this development. Questions also asked how Jewish adolescents and their parents participate in Jewish life, express their feelings about being Jewish, the role of spirituality in their lives, how they learn about Jewish life, and their relationship/ties with Israel and the Jewish people. Part 1, the Parent Survey, asked parents of students in Jewish schools about the financial costs of religious education, their religious background, Jewish religious practices of their household, as well as their own religious beliefs and spirituality. The survey also sought answers to questions on the parents' reasons for their choice of Jewish school, how involved and in what ways they were involved in their child's school and education, their involvement in the Jewish community, their level of knowledge on various subjects related to Judaism, and their opinions on their own parenting. Other information collected included marital status, income, family status, family origins, education, and employment. Part 2, the Student Survey, asked students about their religious background, the religious practices and experiences in their household, and their own Jewish practices. Students were then asked about how they spent their free time on Saturdays and weekdays, how they and their parents felt about being Jewish, and what types of rules their parents had for them. Additionally, students were queried about their values, friends, and future plans; knowledge of various subjects relating to Judaism; and their opinions of their school, teachers, and their own academic performance. Background information collected included gender, grade in school, name and types of schools attended, household composition, language spoken in the home, and parents' education and employment. Part 3, the Teacher Survey, asked teachers about the settings they worked in and the salary and benefits of those positions. Respondents also were asked about the classes they taught, the use of various teaching methods and media, and their roles and responsibilities. The survey also asked the teachers about their training and professional development, their perceptions and attitudes about their school, parental involvement, resources and facilities, and school goals. Additionally, teachers were asked about their religious background, Jewish religious practices of their own households, and their personal religious beliefs and spirituality. Background information collected included type of postsecondary education, gender, age, place of birth, marital status, income, and future career plans.

Curated

Simple Crosstabs

National Congregations Study: Cumulative File, 1998, 2006-2007, 2012, 2018-2019, [United States] (ICPSR 3471)

Released/updated on: 2025-06-03

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 2018-01-01--2019-01-01

The National Congregations Study (NCS) is a national survey effort to gather information about America's congregations. The first wave of the NCS took place in 1998, and the study was repeated in 2006-07, 2012, and 2018-19. The NCS tracks continuity and change among American congregations, and each NCS wave also explores new subjects.

With information from 5,333 congregations collected over a span of more than 20 years, the NCS helps us better understand many aspects of congregational life in the United States, and how congregations are changing in the 21st century. The NCS contributes to knowledge about American religion by collecting information about a wide range of congregations' characteristics and activities at different points in time.

In all four waves, the NCS was conducted in conjunction with the General Social Survey (GSS). The 1998, 2006, 2012, and 2018 waves of the GSS asked respondents who attend religious services to name their congregation, thus generating a nationally representative sample of religious congregations. Researchers then located these congregations. In 2006, the sample included re-interviews of a subset of congregations that participated in 1998, and in 2018-19, the sample included re-interviews of a subset of congregations that participated in 2012.

A key informant at each congregation - a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader - provided each congregation's information via a one-hour interview conducted either over the phone or in-person. The survey gathered information on many topics, including the congregation's leadership, social composition, structure, activities, and programming. The NCS gathers information about worship, programs, staffing, community activities, demographics, funding, and many other characteristics of American congregations. Respondents of the NCS survey were asked to describe the worship service and programs sponsored by the congregation other than the main worship services, including religious education classes, musical groups, and recreational programs. Informants described the type of building in which the congregation met, whether it belonged to the congregation, and whether visitors came just to view the building's architecture or artwork. Congregations were geocoded, and selected census variables are included in this study.

Curated

Simple Crosstabs

National Survey of Religious Leaders, United States, 2019-2020 (ICPSR 38576)

Released/updated on: 2025-06-03

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 2019-01-01--2020-12-31

The National Survey of Religious Leaders (NSRL) is a survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,600 clergy from across the religious spectrum. It surveyed religious leaders who work in congregations, including full-time and part-time ministerial staff, assistant and specialist ministerial staff (such as youth ministers, religious education directors, and others), and head clergy.

Conducted in 2019-2020, the NSRL contains a wealth of information about congregations' religious leaders. There are questions about respondents' jobs and careers, including job satisfaction; religious beliefs and practices; views about and practices related to mental health; attitudes and practices related to end-of-life issues; community involvement; political attitudes and practices; engagement with the larger religious world; knowledge of and attitudes about science, and how science informs their work; primary information sources; mental and physical health; and demographic characteristics such as gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, birthplace, marital status, and income. Overall, the NSRL provides a multi-faceted portrait of those who lead religious congregations in the United States.

Curated

Northern California Church Member Study, 1963 (ICPSR 7590)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: San Francisco, United States, California

This data collection contains survey data on 2,871 church members residing in the San Francisco Bay area in 1963. The main research objective of the study was to assess the degree to which certain interpretations of Christian faith may continue to be a source of contemporary anti-Semitism. The primary focus of the questionnaire was the examination of respondents' religious knowledge, activities, beliefs, experiences, and intergroup relations, as well as their attitudes toward other religious and cultural groups, specifically Jews. In addition, they were asked their opinion on the appropriateness of denominations taking stands on current social and political issues and were questioned on their religious background and the role that religion played in their lives. Personal data were also solicited, including other organizational memberships, television viewing, book reading habits, political affiliation, occupation, education, marital status, number of children, sex, and race. The file also includes 48 derived measures.

Curated

Survey of Churches and Church Membership by County, 1952 (ICPSR 14)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: United States

This data collection contains information about church and religious organization membership by county in the United States for the year 1952. Information is provided on the number and percentage of members in churches such as the Congregational Christian, Methodist, Protestant Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, and Jewish congregations, as well as the percentage of the total population who are church members and those belonging to other faiths. Demographic variables provide information on median age, income, and education.

Curated

Survey of Church Membership, 1971 (ICPSR 7520)

Released/updated on: 1992-02-16

Geographic coverage: North Carolina, Indiana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Kentucky, California, Kansas, Florida, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Iowa, Illinois, Texas, Connecticut, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Idaho, Oregon, Vermont, United States, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Maine, Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, South Carolina, Nebraska, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado, Missouri, Alaska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Nevada, District of Columbia, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York (state), New Jersey, Michigan, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Ohio

This data collection contains information by region, state, and county on churches and church membership for 53 Christian denominations in the United States in 1971. These estimates or enumerations by denomination were collected by the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCCC) from each reporting denomination. The data are recorded for the nation as a whole, regions, states, SMSAs, and counties. This dataset was obtained from the Office of Research, Evaluation and Planning of the NCCC. In addition to data identifying the units of record, data for each reporting denomination are present, including: (1) number of churches, (2) number of communicant, confirmed, or full members, and (3) total number of "adherents." When incomplete information was supplied about a denomination's total number of adherents, an estimate was made by NCCC and identified in the data as such.

Curated

Urban Congregations' Capacity for HIV Prevention and Care (ICPSR 35918)

Released/updated on: 2015-06-09

Geographic coverage: United States

This study examines the implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities. It conducts site visits and interviews with pastoral and lay leaders at 12 congregations of varying denomination, ethnicity, and size in Los Angeles County, half of which have implemented HIV/AIDS programs and half of which have not but are otherwise comparable. A telephone survey of 800 congregations in areas disproportionately affected by AIDS is also conducted to investigate factors associated with congregant involvement. The effects of community characteristics are examined by compiling neighborhood-level data on socioeconomic status, ethnic diversity, community need, and so forth.