Sign in

The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA)

@religiondata.bsky.social
1.1K followers 265 following 227 posts

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.

PostsRepliesMedia
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Did you know that heresy can refer to religious behavior as well as belief? In the ARDA Dictionary, popular religion terms are not only defined but also contextualized with sources for further research and learning, as seen in this entry. Discover more terms at www.thearda.com/research/rel....
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Parents and Adult Children Aren't Fighting as Much as TikTok Thinks | #AheadOfTheTrend The @pewresearch.org American Trends Panel (Wave 137) seeks “to evaluate the relationships between parents and their adult children.” The survey checks perceptions on both sides of this debate using one source.
thearda.com
Parents and Adult Children Aren't Fighting as Much as TikTok Thinks
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Parents and Adult Children Aren't Fighting as Much as TikTok Thinks ; Date: 2026-09-17
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Although Christianity has been dominant in the religious history of America, freedom of religious expression has allowed non-Christian faiths to develop and thrive. This learning module explores the important events, movements, and people who increased the diversity of America's religious landscape.
thearda.com
Religious Minorities (Non-Christians) in American History
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"Social atomization has real consequences, both seen and unseen. As this data shows, the question isn’t just whether Americans have someone to open up to—it’s that even the answer to 'who would you trust?' now depends on their politics, their education, and their pew." #AheadOfTheTrend
120
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On this day in 1963, a Black Baptist church in Birmingham became a target of racist violence. That day, Klu Klux Klan members planted a bomb, which detonated inside the 16th Street Baptist Church. The explosion killed four girls—Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNair.
News exhibit regarding the Birmingham church bombings — Flickr photo by dbking (CC BY 2.0)
124
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Who Do You Talk to When You’re Struggling? | #AheadOfTheTrend Recent data from @pewresearch.org shows that only a third of non-evangelical Protestants, Catholics, and LDS members feel very or extremely comfortable speaking with their pastor about their struggles. For evangelicals, it jumps to 56%.
thearda.com
Who Do You Talk to When You’re Struggling?
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Who Do You Talk to When You’re Struggling? ; Date: 2026-09-10
011
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Evangelicals in the United States | Free Learning Module How much does the average person really know about evangelical Christianity? This college-level exercise illustrates how you can use the Association of Religion Data Archives to explore data related to belief systems in American religion.
thearda.com
Evangelicals in the United States
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
On this day in 1907, Pope Pius X issued the encyclical "Pascendi Dominici Gregis," which classified Modernism as "the synthesis of all heresies." It was followed by the introduction of an anti-Modernist oath in 1910, which was required to be sworn by all priests of the Catholic Church.
A copy of the cover of Pascendi Gregis by Pope Pius X.
165
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The ARDA Guiding Paper Series allows prominent scholars to provide guidance on the study of religion and new research agendas. From improved measurement concepts to rethinking commonly held assumptions on religion, these papers represent essential framing for the study of religion today.
thearda.com
Guiding Papers | Research
The ARDA Guiding Paper Series Allows Prominent Scholars to Provide Guidance Papers On The Study of Religion and New Research Agendas
011
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
How often do survey respondents report religious experiences—miraculous healings, feeling the presence of a deity, visions, or near-death experiences—in their everyday lives? This free learning module explores the degree to which Americans report having these various religious experiences.
thearda.com
Religious Experience in Everyday Life
020
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Five datasets have been added for free access in our archive. These datasets cover a variety of topics, including American elections, the news media, mosques in the United States, and policy advocacy. Access these archive additions by @pewresearch.org, @prri.org, and others in the comments.
112
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Have you explored the full collection of religion and statistical terms in the ARDA's dictionary? The final two terms detail Zoroastrianism. Discover this and many other definitions in the link in the comments.
110
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Just as religion can be studied at the institutional, organizational, and individual levels, as well as how trends in each may change over time, we can similarly study secularisms. The ARDA team has developed a free, college-level learning module to better understand data on global secularism.
thearda.com
Secularism Across the Globe
010
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"An overarching conclusion from @pewresearch.org's latest Religious Landscape Study is that it’s pretty rare to find an individual who says that they have a great deal of confidence in their belief that God doesn’t exist. In the full sample, it’s just 13%." — @ryanburge.bsky.social #AheadOfTheTrend
100
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Browse dozens of topics and see responses from major national surveys and demographic patterns. The ARDA's Quickstats feature provides in-depth statistics for a variety of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors on U.S. Religion. Each topic has sourced data graphs, and notes for better understanding.
thearda.com
Beliefs, Behaviors and Belonging (Quickstats) | Statistics | US Religion
Browse Dozens of Topics with Responses from Major US National Surveys and Demographic Patterns
010
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The @pewresearch.org Religious Landscape Survey asks a question about belief and follows up with certainty about that belief. This setup ensures everyone gets the second question, no matter how they answered the first one. This edition of #AheadOfTheTrend looks at the distinction of certainty.
thearda.com
Belief Isn't Dying, It's Just Getting Less Certain
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Belief Isn't Dying, It's Just Getting Less Certain ; Date: 2026-08-20
100
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Want to conduct a deep dive into religion data? The ARDA has curated lists of resources for researchers, educators, journalists, and congregations to provide information related to your context. From archives and indexes to journals and associations, see our list of external resources below.
thearda.com
Reference Links | About
Reference Links to Sites Related to the ARDA, grouped for Researchers, Educators, Journalists and Congregations
010
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Free Module | Religion in United States Public Schools The role of religion in public schools has long been a topic of debate. As many public schools begin their fall semesters, learn more about the opinions of average Americans on the place of religion within the classroom.
thearda.com
Religion in United States Public Schools
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
"Among those raised in the LDS faith where religion was very or somewhat important to both their family and themselves and they attended church weekly, retention was about 68%. What about those raised in an environment deficient in at least one of those factors? Retention was a paltry 25%."
110
Reposted by The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA)
Brian Nosek @briannosek.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Over the next several months, we will phase out some popular OSF features. These changes do not affect current public content, which remains safe and accessible. We have prepared support material to help users adapt. I am very sorry for the disruption to your work. Please read this post for details.
cos.io
OSF Changes | Center for Open Science
We are preparing substantial changes to OSF that will reduce its functionality, focus OSF on its unique strengths, and move toward an integrated model with complementary services. As part of that shif...
10120113
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
New datasets are added to the ARDA each month and are always free to access. This month, we've added recent research on American elections, why adults choose not to have children, and global religious restrictions. Discover all the archive has to offer at www.thearda.com/data-archive....
101
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
"Among those born in the 1990s and 2000s who left Christianity behind, only about a third identify as Democrats. These younger 'dechurchers' don’t look like political refugees; they simply stopped going—gradually, quietly, without it meaning much ideologically." #AheadOfTheTrend
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Musical Instruments in American Churches Music has long been an important part of worship services in the United States.This learning module explores the ways in which Americans integrate musical instruments into their worship services.
thearda.com
Musical Instruments in American Churches
001
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Have you explored the ARDA's free Community Profile Builder? This resource assists church and community leaders in accessing free information about their communities, including social, economic, and religious data. Learn more at www.thearda.com/us-religion/....
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The First Wave Left with Conviction. The Second Wave Just Drifted. Two-thirds of Americans indicate that their current religious tradition is the one in which they were raised. Read the latest installment of #AheadOfTheTrend, to see how mass secularization would eventually normalize religious exit.
thearda.com
The First Wave Left with Conviction. The Second Wave Just Drifted
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: The First Wave Left with Conviction. The Second Wave Just Drifted ; Date: 2026-07-16
011
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
It is a common assumption that older people are more religious than young people. Yet, there are multiple ways to measure religiosity, and individuals can be more religious in one way compared to another. This free learning module explores the relationship between age and religiosity.
thearda.com
Religion and Age
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The ARDA has compiled lists of relevant external resources for researchers, educators, journalists, and congregations to assist in their understanding of religion data. Explore our collection and let us know what other resources we should add! Reference Links: www.thearda.com/about/refere...
thearda.com
Reference Links | About
Reference Links to Sites Related to the ARDA, grouped for Researchers, Educators, Journalists and Congregations
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
If one spends any time in religious corners of social media, it seems that devoutly religious people have become strident and often belligerent. Data strongly rejects that notion. Among Catholics, there is more willingness to reject the Church’s teachings on a number of controversial topics.
121
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Methods for Exploring Religion | Free College Module This activity introduces common research methods used for collecting data as well as tools from the ARDA designed to help students and researchers better understand it.
thearda.com
Methods for Exploring Religion
020
Reposted by The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA)
Brian Steensland @bsteens.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Excited to have this article out in the world. Hopefully our framework helps scholars name and study more of what’s happening in contemporary US religion.
042
Reposted by The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA)
Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture @csraac.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
As the fall semester approaches don't forget about our Teaching Resource Library! We support scholarly teaching, and learning with access to these free resources from many types of scholars. Explore resources or submit a resource to help grow our library! raac.indianapolis.iu.edu/resources/
032
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Explore the most significant events and people in the history of American religion. The ARDA’s Timelines of American Religion place a wealth of information—including text, pictures, graphs and more—at your fingertips and within historical context.
thearda.com
Interactive Display | Timelines | US Religion
Interactive Historical Timelines of US Religion With Details On People, Events and Movements
001
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
The ARDA team often hears from ministry leaders and community organizers on the impact of the Community Profile Builder. We recently interviewed two Indianapolis-based leaders who use the resource to understand the neighborhoods in which they live and serve. Read the full article:
thearda.com
Context for Community Engagement: ARDA’s Community Profile Builder
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Context for Community Engagement: ARDA’s Community Profile Builder ; Date: 2026-06-30
022
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Latest insights from #AheadOfTheTrend: "Among Catholics, even the ones who go to Mass every week, they seem more willing to reject the Church’s teachings on a number of controversial topics. And they are not willing to cut people off from the Catholic Church." Read more in the pinned comment.
100
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Is the United States a Christian Nation? Various politicians, religious leaders, and citizens embrace the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. This learning module will explore the extent to which Americans espouse this belief. Download the free module on the ARDA.
thearda.com
Is the United States a Christian Nation?
010
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The Purists Are Losing: How American Catholics Are Rewriting the Rules In a new installment of #AheadOfTheTrend, @ryanburge.bsky.social analyzes data from the American Catholic Laity Poll on who American Catholics believe should have the final say on morality issues: individuals or the Church.
thearda.com
The Purists Are Losing: How American Catholics Are Rewriting the Rules
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: The Purists Are Losing: How American Catholics Are Rewriting the Rules ; Date: 2026-07-02
000
Reposted by The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA)
Kettering Foundation @kettering.org · 15/06/2026
As we near #America250, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on our past and consider the future.
122
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
The concepts of extrinsic religion and intrinsic religion were developed by Gordon Allport in 1960. The terms can best be understood in the as differences in religious orientation. Define these and hundreds of other terms with the ARDA's free Religion Dictionary. (Link in Comments.)
100
Reposted by The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA)
Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
New Ahead of the Trend column from @religiondata.bsky.social shows there is really no evidence that huge swaths of the country think that having a “Christian country” is very/extremely important (33%). For Evangelicals, though, it's 68%. www.thearda.com/categories/a...
0114
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
"Should America Have a Christian Culture?" In the latest #AheadOfTheTrend, @ryanburge.bsky.social analyzed data from @pewresearch.org's American Trends Panel for a question that asked: "How important is it for the United States to have a culture based in Christian religious beliefs?"
thearda.com
Should America Have a Christian Culture?
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Should America Have a Christian Culture? ; Date: 2026-06-18
010
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Clergy Beliefs on Faith, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Science This free research module explores what clergy think about the above topics. Students will deepen understanding of the views of clergy and how leaders from various religious traditions differ from one another. Download the module:
thearda.com
Clergy Beliefs on Faith, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Science
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
"The share of Gen Z who can’t trust others at all is 74%; that’s seven points higher than Millennials. The share who say others can be trusted is a measly 13%. That’s 11 points lower than Millennials and 17 points lower than Gen X." — #AheadOfTheTrend
110
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
The Black Church Burning Project exists to identify and document every Black church and congregation that was burned, bombed, or otherwise attacked during the Civil Rights era and to bring these forgotten stories forward for scholars, communities, and the public. Learn more on their website:
blackchurchburningproject.org
Black Church Burning Project
A digital humanities archive documenting the history of attacks on Black churches across the United States.
000
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
"Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can’t be too careful in dealing with people?" In the latest installment of #AheadOfTheTrend, @ryanburge.bsky.social analyzes data from the General Social Survey showing Gen Z is the least trusting generation.
thearda.com
Gen Z Doesn't Trust Anyone
Ahead of the Trend Article - Title: Gen Z Doesn't Trust Anyone ; Date: 2026-06-11
141
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Learning Module Spotlight: Religious Views on Homosexuality In June, there is increased attention on the LGBTQ+ community. This free college-level learning module guides users in exploring data from the General Social Survey on attitudes around sexual orientation.
thearda.com
Religious Views on Homosexuality
031
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
In addition to our collection of college-level learning modules, the ARDA also contains introductory data literacy assignments for middle and high school students. These short exercises help build research skills and religion knowledge using data from our archive. Explore 40 high school modules:
thearda.com
Jr Sr High Modules | Learning Modules | Teaching
Build High School Level Research Skills and Religion Knowledge With Short Exercises that Interactively Explore the Best Data and Information Sources on Religion
010
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The ARDA kicked off @csraac.bsky.social's 9th Biennial Conference on Religion and American Culture with a workshop highlighting various resources available on the site for better research, teaching, and understanding of religion research. #RAAC2026
121
Reposted by The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA)
Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture @csraac.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The 9th Biennial Conference on Religion and American Culture is under way! Follow along all weekend while we share quotes, photos, and highlights from this year's event. Participate in the Biennial conversation by using #RAAC2026 and comment your questions to be shared with panelists.
031
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
New datasets are now available for free on the ARDA! This month, we've added data from @prri.org, @pewresearch.org, the Censuses of Religious Bodies, and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Explore all of these datasets and more at www.thearda.com/data-archive....
031
The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA) @religiondata.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
"Data paints a pretty clear picture: religious folks—however you measure the concept are less likely to report being 'not too happy.'" Read more from the latest #AheadOfTheTrend column in the pinned comment.
100