InterVarsity's StudentSoul.org

A new survey by sociologists at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion finds that people in the USA have four very different images of God — Authoritarian, Benevolent, Critical or Distant — and that these reveal more about people’s social, moral and political views than the usual denominational or political labels. Another survey shows that twentysomethings tend to put their faith on the shelf.

Religion survey: The Four Gods

This USA Today story shows that people don’t necessarily holds views that line up with media stereotypes. In fact, our religious beliefs and views of God fall along regional lines across the U.S. Regarding how we view God, the survey developers found that responses tended to fall into four categories. Other findings include a high interest in the paranormal, fewer believers wanting the label “evangelical” and a high interest and use of “religion-themed” movies and books.

Flash map of regional views of God

This map (Flash based) is a supplement to the above story, and has several interesting links. The first screen (the Voices around the USA tab) offers audio statements about faith from four people in various parts of the U.S. The second screen (The Four Gods tab) displays a regional map you can click to get statistics. On the right of that screen is a description of the four ways the survey lumped people’s views of God. What do you think of these categories? How about your friends? These four views of God would make excellent fodder for discussing what God really is like.

Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf

This Barna study claims that “despite strong levels of spiritual activity during the teen years, most twentysomethings disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years — and often beyond that.” While people tend to maintain an outward affiliation to their childhood and teen-aged faith, the disengagement continues beyond the early twenties into adulthood. Is the problem that, despite high teen involvement in church activities, no real transformation happened? What does this imply about ministry to college students and also to recent graduates? Feel free to comment!