Ahead of the Trend

Mar

2014

The Lord is their shepherd: New study reveals who reads the Bible – and why

By David Briggs

Tags: Bible, Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, education, income, King James Bible, millennials, personal devotion, prayer, Psalms, race, religion and politics, same-sex marriage

Favorite biblical book: The Psalms. Percentage of Americans who read the Bible on their own: About half. And far and away the No. 1 reason they pick up Scripture is for personal prayer and devotion. A major new study on American Bible reading offers insights into how, why and when Americans read Scripture outside of worship.

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Feb

2014

Racial power vs. divine glory: Why desegregation remains an elusive goal for U.S. congregations

By David Briggs

Tags: Baylor University, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, desegregation, diversity, integration, multiracial congregations, Portraits of American Life Study, post-racial, race, U.S. Congregtional Life Survey, worship

It is tempting to think of America as a nation that is transcending an historic racial divide. But a developing body of research is revealing just how pervasive racial differences are in one of the nation’s most powerful voluntary institutions — the houses of worship where people gather for spiritual and moral guidance and fellowship.

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Feb

2014

What price a religious calling? Record seminary debt shows need for financial as well as divine guidance

By David Briggs

Tags: Association of Theological Schools, Center for the Study of Theological Education, clergy, financial literacy, internships, Lexington Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity, online education, religious call, seminaries, student debt, Trinity Lutheran seminary, tuition

Record seminary debt and rising tuition costs are forcing both prospective clergy and theological schools to reconsider the price of a religious calling. More than a quarter of students graduating in 2011 with a Master of Divinity degree had more than $40,000 in theological debt and 5 percent were more than $80,000 in the red, a new study found. Many of these students discovered that not only they or their spouses had to moonlight to make ends meet, but some had to choose another job besides the ministry to pay the bills.

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Ahead of the Trend columns bringing you the latest news in religion research from throughout the world.

This will be a collegial effort, enlisting the cooperation of researchers, universities, journal editors, institutes and associations of scholars to increase the impact and awareness of important findings in religion research.

About The Author

David Briggs, a former national writer for The Associated Press who holds a master's degree from Yale Divinity School, is consistently honored among the Top 10 secular religion writers and reporters in North America.

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