Posted on May 1, 2007

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Hispanics Transforming the Nation's Religious Landscape, Study Finds

A new study conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, both in Washington, D.C., has found that Hispanics are transforming America's religious landscape, especially the Catholic Church, not only by virtue of their growing numbers, but also because they are practicing a distinct form of Christianity.

The report, Changing Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion, examines the religious beliefs and behaviors and their association with political thinking of Latinos of all faiths, with special attention paid to Catholics. Among other things, the report found that about a third of all Catholics in the United States are Latinos, and projects that the Latino composition of the church will continue climbing for decades to come.

The study, which included a series of public opinion surveys totaling more than 4,600 interviews, also found that religious expression associated with the Pentecostal and charismatic movements are a key attribute of worship for Hispanics in all major religious traditions — far more so than among non-Latinos. Most significantly, given their numbers, more than half of all Hispanic Catholics identify themselves as charismatics, compared with only one-eighth of non-Hispanic Catholics. In addition, the study sheds new light on the role religious affiliation plays on party identification among Hispanics and suggests that the roles Latinos play in U.S. politics and public affairs are deeply influenced by the distinctive characteristics of their religious faith.

To view the complete report, visit the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's Web site (87 pages, PDF).

“Changing Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion.” Pew Charitable Trusts Press Release 4/26/07.

Primary Subject: Hispanics/Latinos
Secondary Subject(s): Religion
Location(s): Washington, DC

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