Book: Surveying The Religious Landscape, Trends in US beliefs
Author: George Gallup, Jr, and D. Michael Lindsay
Publishers: Morehouse Publishing, USA, 1999
STATISTICAL INFORMATION on religion is singularly lacking in Jamaica. Even the little that is available is more suspect than reliable. But not so in the USA, where professional pollsters have been active for the last seven decades, focusing on religion.
From 1935 the data gathered is substantial, consequently, the dimension of comparison over significant time makes for analysis in important aspects of national life in approximately 170 notarise pages.
A record of such data is available in this book, compiled by George Gallup, Jr., and D. Michael Lindsay, who include in the appendix an explanation of their methodology and the assurance that with margins of error considered, accuracy guaranteed is 95 per cent.
George Gallup, Jr., we learn from the publishers, is co-chairman of the George Gallup International Institute. His partner, D. Michael Lindsay, is a consultant on theology, religion and culture to the Institute. Together, they have produced grist for the mill of religious scene observers in the USA.
ATTRACTIVENESS
The book scans American society under eight headings, each related to religion: trends, beliefs, practice, experience, attitudes, ethics, society and youth.
A strength of the work is its graphic attractiveness. Good use is made of graphs and tables to present the statistical information. Screens are effectively used to background and highlight data.
However, the data, while informative and analytically presented, would not be of much relevance to Jamaican reality, for what is surveyed is completely integrated with culture, even though highly revealing and intriguing.
However, the book does present an important challenge to Jamaica, and it is that we, too, need to get involved in producing statistical data on religion of comparable nature. Already, we have demonstrated our capacity to produce high quality statistical data politically.
Information gathered from such polling would prove invaluable to politicians as well as religious leaders, not to mention journalists and social commentators. Indeed, many assertions now often made would be refuted, and church reforms would be executed.
UNDERLYING THEMES
The picture of religion in America that emerges, say the authors in the Introduction is complex, but there are underlying themes, which they identify as these:
The widespread and continuing appeal or popularity of religion.
The glaring lack of knowledge about the Bible, basic doctrines and the traditions of one's church.
The inconsistencies of belief, for example, evangelical Christians experiencing belief in New Age practices.
The superficiality of faith, with many not knowing what they believe, or why.
A belief in God but a lack of trust in God.
A failure on the part of organised religion in some respects to make a profound difference in our society, despite the fact that churches reach six out of ten Americans in a given month.
In the case of Jamaica, the picture that would emerge would no doubt be substantially the same, in terms of response to similar questions. The major difference would be in questions to elicit response to particular cultural peculiarities.
The kind of information in this book certainly provides 'grist for the mill' of US scene observers, and a challenge to local publishers.
Billy Hall
