About the Book​

"The Metrics of Faith" introduces a groundbreaking approach to understanding religion's influence in American society. Moving beyond traditional measures, this book examines what religion helps people become through developing virtues like transcendence, temperance, justice, and humanity. Drawing on survey data from 2020-2024, it reveals that authentic religious development consistently predicts opposition to political violence, increased political tolerance, and stronger support for democratic norms. Published by Lynne Rienner Press (September 2025).​

Religion Across Generations​

Key Finding: While traditional measures show religious decline among youth, Religious Becoming scores remain consistent across generations, with Millennials sometimes scoring higher than Baby Boomers. This contradicts the narrative that younger Americans are less religious—they're simply practicing differently.



Implications: The apparent "secularization" of America may be a measurement error rather than actual religious decline. Religious communities focusing solely on declining attendance miss how younger generations cultivate transcendence, temperance, justice, and humanity through non-traditional spiritual paths.
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Religion and Political Tolerance​

Key Finding: Religious Becoming predicts political tolerance four times more powerfully than education—defying fifty years of research identifying education as tolerance's primary driver. This challenges the common assumption that increased secularization is necessary for greater tolerance.

​Implications: The widely accepted notion that education is the main path to political tolerance requires significant revision. Religious development that emphasizes character transformation may be more effective at fostering tolerance than secular education alone—a finding that upends conventional thinking about religion's relationship with democratic attitudes.

Religion and Political Division​

Key Finding: While traditional measures of religiosity often correlate with increased partisan hostility, Religious Becoming powerfully reduces political sectarianism. Religious Becoming counteracts political sectarianism as powerfully as partisan identity promotes it. Those scoring high in Religious Becoming are significantly less likely to view political opponents as morally corrupt enemies, helping bridge partisan divides.
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Implications: The seemingly contradictory findings about religion's role in polarization can be reconciled by distinguishing between different forms of religious expression. While religiously-infused political identity may exacerbate division, authentic character transformation through religious development counteracts it—challenging simplistic narratives about religion's political impact.
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Religion and Democratic Resilience​

Key Finding: Even as some religious groups express support for anti-democratic actions, individuals scoring high in Religious Becoming overwhelmingly reject political violence and strongly support democratic norms. This contradicts arguments that religious commitment inherently threatens democratic governance.
​Implications: The relationship between religion and democracy depends crucially on how religion is expressed and measured. While certain expressions of religious identity may align with authoritarian tendencies, authentic religious development fosters democratic virtues. This suggests promoting character transformation within religious contexts could strengthen rather than weaken democracy—contrary to secularization theories that posit religion as democracy's adversary.

The Evidence: Religious Becoming in American Society​