Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Association of Religion Data Archives

@religiondata.bsky.social

990 followers 150 following 86 posts

https://www.thearda.com/ The ARDA includes a variety of tools designed to foster better research, teaching, and understanding of religion data. Always free to access. Nonpartisan/nonsectarian.

www.thearda.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Nov 21

The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) was founded in 1997 to democratize access to the best data on religion. The ARDA includes a variety of free tools and modules to foster better research, teaching, and understanding of religion data.

Explore some of our resources in this thread.

2 4 18

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 1d

Rethinking Race and Religion in America — The Latest #AheadOfTheTrend

Most people who attend church semi-regularly worship alongside others of the same racial background, especially white churchgoers. Yet, 21% of respondents said that no single racial group made up a majority of their congregation.

The Most Segregated Hour? Rethinking Race and Religion in America

Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: The Most Segregated Hour? Rethinking Race and Religion in America ; Date: 2025-09-27

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 10d

Dive deeper into #AheadOfTheTrend with data visualizations from "Parenting Isn’t Easy—But Faith Might Help a Little." View the graphs and head to www.thearda.com/categories/a... for the full analysis.

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 13d

What happens when we die? Some religions have very specific descriptions about the afterlife, while other religions believe what happens after death is a mystery, unexplainable until experienced. This learning module on the ARDA will explore the various beliefs Americans hold about life after death.

Beliefs about Life after Death

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 14d

New #AheadOfTheTrend on the ARDA: Parenting Isn’t Easy—But Faith Might Help a Little

A survey by @pewresearch.org asked parents a series of questions beginning, “How often do you find being a parent to be…” followed by adjectives, such as: enjoyable, stressful, and tiring.

Read the analysis below.

Parenting Isn’t Easy—But Faith Might Help a Little

Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Parenting Isn’t Easy—But Faith Might Help a Little ; Date: 2025-09-23

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 20d

Explore the latest data sets added to the ARDA, including:

Adolescent Christian Narratives and Experiences Survey

American Trends Panel Wave 102 — Climate, COVID, and Culture of Work

PRRI Gen Z Survey, 2023

Pew National Survey of Latinos, 2011

Questionnaire on Religious Belief, 1990–1991

Newest Additions Browse | Data Archive

Browse Newest Data Collections in Data Archive Ordered by Addition Date

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 22d

The ARDA's Executive Co-Director Andrew Whitehead will be leading a webinar exploring Cross-Cultural Christian Nationalism tomorrow at 3 p.m. as part of @csraac.bsky.social's Religion & webinar series. Register for this timely discussion at raac.indianapolis.iu.edu/programs/rel....

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 27d

Collecting reliable data on international religion can be difficult due to limitations of translation. In this college-level learning module, users will explore sources that contain reliable data on international religion.

Download "Exploring Religion and Religious Freedom in Nations" here.

Exploring Religion and Religious Freedom in Nations

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · 29d

Ponder the visualizations from our latest installment of #AheadOfTheTrend: The Many Jobs of a Religious Leader

To what degree are American clergy bi-vocational? What factors determine additional roles: age, salary, role?

Make sure to read the full analysis at www.thearda.com/categories/a....

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Sep 8

New dataset on the ARDA: @prri.org Gen Z Survey, 2023

This survey considers what sets Generation Z apart from older generations in terms of: political and cultural values, faith in communities and political institutions, and views on religion.

Discover the Data: www.thearda.com/data-archive...

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Aug 29

Looking for the latest in religion data and resources? Subscribe to the ARDA Newsletter to receive the newest datasets, Ahead of the Trend columns, learning modules, and more delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up at www.thearda.com/about/subscr....

Subscribe | About

Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the ARDA Newsletter

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Aug 28

One of the many beneficial religion data resources on the ARDA is our collection of family trees for major world religions. Each family tree outlines the rich history of a religion, providing interactive diagrams and descriptions of important groups, places, and events. Explore this resource today.

Family Trees | World Religion

Interactive Tree Diagrams Show the Lineage and Rich History of Numerous Major World Religious Groups

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Aug 22

New #AheadOfTheTrend on the ARDA: The Many Jobs of a Religious Leader

The National Survey of Religious Leaders helps show how clergy entered ministry and how they manage the financial aspects of being a pastor. The findings show most ministers hold secondary employment and work >40 hours/week.

The Many Jobs of a Religious Leader

Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: The Many Jobs of a Religious Leader ; Date: 2025-08-21

www.thearda.com

1 1

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Aug 21

ARDA Co-Director @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social will be leading the kick-off conversation for @csraac.bsky.social's sixth season of Religion &. Register for Religion & Cross-Cultural Christian Nationalism and the full slate of episodes at raac.indianapolis.iu.edu/programs/rel....

4 3

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Aug 18

New Data on the ARDA: U.S. Religious Landscape Study, 2023-24

This survey provides a religious portrait of the U.S. among a nationally representative sample of 36,908 adults. The ARDA has added six variables to the data set to enhance user experience.

Discover More: www.thearda.com/data-archive...

1 2

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Aug 1

Learning Module Spotlight: Religion and Science

It is often said that there is a fundamental conflict between religion and science. This learning module examines empirical data from Americans on their opinions between religion and science.

Access the Module: www.thearda.com/categories/t...

Religion and Science

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jul 31

New #AheadOfTheTrend — Higher Education on Trial: Religion, Politics, and Public Doubt

What role does religion play in this changing perception of higher education in the United States? When breaking down data on college sentiment by religious tradition, there was some significant variation.

Higher Education on Trial: Religion, Politics, and Public Doubt

Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Higher Education on Trial: Religion, Politics, and Public Doubt ; Date: 2025-07-24

www.thearda.com

2 1

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jul 25

Religious families are one way to classify religious groups based on ancestry or heritage. They are broader than denomination but more specific than religious traditions. Some common religious families include: Adventist, Lutheran, and Holiness. Visit the link below for a complete list.

Families - Religious Profiles | US Religion

US Religion Families Profile Page Provides Access to Interactive Reports for Dozens of Religious Families

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jul 24

New on the ARDA | ATP Wave 115 — Parents Survey

The American Trends Panel (ATP), created by @pewresearch.org, is a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. The ATP Wave 115 was conducted among a sample of parents of a child under 18.

Discover the data: www.thearda.com/data-archive...

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jul 23

Learning Module Spotlight: Religion in United States Public Schools

The role of religion in public schools has long been a topic of debate. This college-level learning module explores the opinions of average Americans about religion in schools.

Access the Module: www.thearda.com/categories/t...

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jul 17

New #AheadOfTheTrend — Faith Meets the Future: Religion and the Gene Editing Divide

In 2021, @pewresearch.org fielded a survey that included questions about gene editing practices and implications. There’s a lot to learn about what factors shape people’s views and how much religion contributes.

Faith Meets the Future: Religion and the Gene Editing Divide

Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Faith Meets the Future: Religion and the Gene Editing Divide ; Date: 2025-07-10

thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jul 9

Listen to real stories of impact about the ARDA's Community Profile Builder on why the resource has become essential in the ways they conduct ministry and community outreach.

View our new video and learn more about the Community Profile Builder at www.thearda.com/us-religion/....

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

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jul 3

More from #AheadOfTheTrend:

It’s easy to view Catholic traditionalists as falling in line with our modern conception of politics, being against abortion, same-sex marriage, and immigration. But the data tells a much more complicated story.

Read the analysis at www.thearda.com/categories/a....

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jun 26

Does religion prevent individuals from committing crimes? How does religion shape an individual’s perception of crime and views on punishment? Our college learning module, "Crime and Religion" helps students answer these questions and more. Download the free module at the link below.

Crime and Religion

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jun 25

New #AheadOfTheTrend: The Role of Certainty in the Lives of Catholics

The General Social Survey includes a question about belief in God with options from believing without doubts to an atheistic view. It’s helpful to visualize how American Christian groups answered that question.

Read more:

A Pope Who Doubts? - The Role of Certainty in the Lives of Catholics

Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: A Pope Who Doubts? - The Role of Certainty in the Lives of Catholics ; Date: 2025-06-19

www.thearda.com

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Jun 18

The ARDA was featured in an article in the most recent issue of Encounter: A Journal of Theological Scholarship from Christian Theological Seminary. Rob Saler writes about why good data on religion is essential for pastors and practitioners.

Read the article at cts.libguides.com/library/publ....