Introduction : the stability and diversity of American faith
Congregations. Church-going : labels matter ; Church growth : competing for members ; Strict churches : the reasons for their popularity ; The "scattered" church : traditional congregations are not going away ; Megachurches : supersizing the faith
Beliefs and practices. Religious experiences : God told me to go to church ; Gender : women believe more, pray more ; Heaven : we are all going ; God : love, anger, and commitment ; Evil : did sin cause the hurricane? ; Spirituality : religion and spirituality are not mutually exclusive ; Giving : the rich, the poor, and the widow's mite ; Personality : are we hardwired for God?
Atheism and irreligion. Atheism : the godless revolution that never happened ; Credulity : who believes in Bigfoot? ; New Age adherents : well-educated, formerly irreligious elites ; The irreligious : simply unchurched, not atheists
The public square. Faith and politics : is there a secret plot of evangelicals to take over the American government? ; Merry Christmas, Jesus : it's okay to put sacred symbols in public space ; Incivility : talking about faith in public ; Religious-media consumption : the Da Vinci code effect ; Civil participation : faith as social capital ; Going to college, getting a job : what happens when mom and dad take their kids to church
Epilogue : Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) at Baylor.
