How Religious are Professors in the U.S.

[Doug]

Here.

HOW RELIGIOUS ARE AMERICA’S COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY
PROFESSORS?
WORKING PAPER, OCTOBER 5, 2006
Neil Gross
Harvard University
Solon Simmons
George Mason University

Previous research has examined the religious backgrounds of college and
university professors,7 and a much publicized study that came out earlier this year looked at professors’ spiritual self-conceptions, finding that 81 percent of faculty consider themselves “spiritual beings.”8 By contrast, our survey examined professors’ religious beliefs. A common perception of the college or university professor is that she or he is an atheist who rejects religion in favor of science or critical inquiry. Although when asked
to specify their current religious preference 31.2 percent of the professors we surveyed said “none,” responses to a question taken from the GSS suggest that more professors are believers than is usually recognized. Respondents were asked to select the statement that comes closest to expressing their views about God. Only 10.0 percent chose the statement, “I don’t believe in God,” while 13.4 percent chose the statement, “I don’t know whether there is a God, and I don’t believe there is any way to find out.” About 23.4 percent of respondents to our survey, in other words, are either atheists or agnostics. This figure is much higher than for the U.S. population as a whole.


God? There's no God on this island!

[Barbara Fitzpatrick]

Of course, that does depend on what department those professors belong to. I work in the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department and, while I haven't asked anyone, just from general conversation around the office I'd say we've got religious (as in definitely believe in god, though not necessarily christian) in the majority. Of course sociologists might take either side of the discussion, just so there'd be one.