Open Access Resources in Religious & Theological Studies: Polls and Public Opinion

The GSS is a major ongoing sociological survey that collects demographic and attitudinal data from the American public. To access datasets on religion, select Browse GSS Variables and click Subject Index. Following that, click R and then Religion to access the variables for which data is provided.

Gallup polls Americans on a variety of topics. There are two main tags on the website for religious information: "Religion" and "Religion and Social Trends." This resource provides a wide variety of information relating to American opinions on contemporary issues, as well as providing additional news and information.
See also: Print versions of Religion and America.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducts surveys, performs demographic analyses, and utilizes other social research tools in order to gain a better picture of the role religion plays in everyday life. A great resource for examining data on the impact of religion in the US and major issues in which religion often plays a large role.

Funded by the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society & Culture, the ARIS surveys the religious affiliations of the American public through direct telephone surveys. In contrast to reports from church leaders or organizations, this methodology makes it a unique study of how people self-identify their religious affiliations.

The Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University is emerging as a popular source for data on religion in America. The ISR conducts many surveys and studies, often in conjunction with large polling organizations such as Gallup. On their website they make available reports on statistics, case studies, and even published works that use their survey data.