Beliefs & Practices

short readsOct 11, 2013

5 facts about the hajj

The annual Muslim hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca is underway, and more than a million pilgrims already have entered Saudi Arabia from abroad. These are five important facts about the hajj.
short readsOct 10, 2013

A fifth of Mormons express doubts about some church teachings

A top Mormon leader recently made headlines this week when he acknowledged that past actions by church leaders may have contributed to doubts about church teachings. About one-in-five (22%) church memberssay they find some of the church’s teachings hard to believe.
short readsOct 3, 2013

More white evangelicals than American Jews say God gave Israel to the Jewish people

A majority of white evangelicals believe God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people, compared with 40% of American Jews who believe the same.
short readsOct 2, 2013

How many Jews are there in the United States?

The number of Jews in the U.S. depends on how one defines a Jew.
reportOct 1, 2013

A Portrait of Jewish Americans

American Jews overwhelmingly say they are proud to be Jewish and have a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people, but their identity is also changing: 22% of American Jews now say they have no religion.
short readsSep 24, 2013

Nairobi Westgate mall terrorist attack is part of Kenya’s sharp rise in religious hostilities

The number of people killed in religion-related terrorist attacks in Kenya has dramatically increased in recent years.
short readsSep 18, 2013

Headscarf incident in Sudan highlights a global trend

Sudan is one of an increasing number of countries whose governments regulate the wearing of religious symbols or attire, such as head coverings for women or facial hair for men.
short readsSep 17, 2013

Putin’s concerns about extremism shared by other Russians

Vladimir Putin’s op-ed in The New York Times explaining his reasons for opposing U.S. military action against the Syrian regime also touched on worries within his own borders.
short readsSep 13, 2013

What surveys say about worship attendance – and why some stay home

This Sunday is “National Back to Church Sunday,” a coordinated effort by more than 20,000 churches of various Christian denominations to reach out to people who rarely attend worship services. The percentage of Americans who say they “seldom” or “never” attend religious services (aside from weddings and funerals) has risen modestly in the past decade. […]
reportSep 10, 2013

Muslim Publics Share Concerns about Extremist Groups

Survey Report More than two years after the death of Osama bin Laden, concern about Islamic extremism remains widespread among Muslims from South Asia to the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa. Across 11 Muslim publics surveyed by the Pew Research Center, a median of 67% say they are somewhat or very concerned about Islamic extremism. […]