God Is Alive and Well
The Future of Religion in America
Popular books by "New Atheists" dismiss religion as a delusional artifact of ancient superstitions. But should millions of Americans' beliefs and behaviors be tossed aside that quickly?
No, says Frank Newport, Gallup Editor-in-Chief. Religion is as powerful and influential as it's ever been in America. In contrast to the views of the New Atheists, Newport argues that the significance of the persistent presence of religion in America isn't mass delusion but mass consequence.
God Is Alive and Well provides a new evidence-based perspective on Americans' religious beliefs and practices, while offering heady, controversial predictions about religion's future in the U.S. The book looks at religion in America from the important angles of age, gender, class, race, geographic region, and more. It dissects religion's important relationship with politics and notes that Americans may increasingly recognize the mounting evidence that religion is good for their wellbeing and health.
Grounded in more than a million Gallup interviews, this book shows that not only do a majority of Americans believe in God and say that religion is important — but that religion is intertwined in most aspects of their daily lives. It's entirely possible, Newport argues, that religion will be even more important in the years ahead.
Frank Newport, Gallup Editor-in-Chief and one of the nation’s leading public opinion analysts, has spent the major part of his working life studying public opinion — much of that opinion about religion. Newport earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan and has worked as a college professor, as a partner in a market research firm, and as Gallup’s chief pollster for more than 20 years. He is the former president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research. The son of a Southern Baptist theologian, Newport grew up in that tradition in Texas and graduated from Baylor University. Newport’s religious background and his current role as a neutral social scientist give him a unique ability to probe the reality of religion in the United States today.
