Baylor Religion Survey results again draw national media attention to BU’s strong work

Whether you get your news from a national publication like USA Today, a website like The Huffington Post, a Christian media outlet such as The Baptist Standard, or a local newspaper like the Houston Chronicle, chances are good you’ve seen a headline about the Baylor Religion Survey this week.

The third wave of results from the survey — one of the most extensive surveys ever conducted on American religious attitudes — was just released by Baylor researchers, and like 2006 and 2008, it’s gathering strong attention from the media.

One of the more intriguing findings in this year’s results involved the effects of religious attitudes on one’s political and economic views. USA Today ran three different stories Tuesday (here, here and here) — two of them in their “Money” section. The HuffPost headline noted, “Believers Keep Faith in American Dream Despite Recession.” The Washington Post headline read, “Many Americans see God’s hand in economy.” (To read more of the news coverage, click here.)

As a tier-one institution built on a foundation of Christian faith, Baylor holds a distinct place in higher education, and groundbreaking work such as the Baylor Religion Survey should and does come from that position. As we’ve noted before, media attention like this shines a light on not only Baylor sociology, but on all the outstanding work being performed here.

Sic ’em, Baylor researchers!