The Untold Stories of American Religious Life

In recent decades, the biggest story in American religious life has been about decline. Congregations are shrinking. Churches are closing. Religious "nones" are on the rise. What gets lost amid all the panel discussions, think pieces and survey reports on these trends is the fact that faith groups are far from dead. As sociologist Mark Chaves puts it, "Even though decline is happening, religion remains, by world standards, very vibrant in the U.S."