Ryan Burge
Ryan Burge is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Ryan Burge
Survey shows faith can prosper in online services
By Ryan Burge — May 13, 2020
(RNS) — A recent Pew survey also allayed fears that there are large demographic disparities when it comes to accessing streaming services.
Why this Baptist pastor signed up his church for a Paycheck Protection Program loan
By Ryan Burge — April 21, 2020
(RNS) — The Paycheck Protection Program could be a godsend for a small Baptist church, despite concerns about separation of church and state.
Why mainline Protestants might fear COVID-19 the most
By Ryan Burge — March 11, 2020
(RNS) — If COVID-19 becomes a true global pandemic, it would deeply affect mainline Protestant churches, seven of which rank in the 10 religious traditions in the United States with the oldest, and therefore most vulnerable, members.
The age of nones may favor churches that welcome doubters
By Ryan Burge — January 14, 2020
(RNS) — Can people who are plagued with doubt feel welcomed by a church that is filled with those who are certain about what they believe?
Atheists prefer cats, Christians love dogs, study shows
By Ryan Burge — January 7, 2020
(RNS) — New questions on the General Social Survey reveal some interesting connections between faith and pets.
Will young white evangelicals turn their backs on Trump?
By Ryan Burge — December 16, 2019
(RNS) — On social issues, younger evangelicals are drifting toward the center. But the data is mixed on whether they can stomach voting for anyone but the GOP.
How many Americans believe Trump is anointed by God?
By Ryan Burge — November 25, 2019
(RNS) — Over the weekend, Rick Perry, the U.S. secretary of energy, became the latest highly placed evangelical Christian to claim that President Trump is the “chosen one.” “I said you were,” Perry said in a clip from an interview shown on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” relating a recent conversation with Trump about an August […]
People of faith are heard online — but the partisans are winning
By Ryan Burge — November 18, 2019
(RNS) — The bad news is that the most outspoken religious people on social media are no less partisan than anyone else. The good news is that they are likely speaking to a silent majority of political pragmatists.
Why Joe Biden, blue-collar Catholic icon, may not be enough for the Dems to win
By Ryan Burge — October 22, 2019
(RNS) — Donald Trump has retained his support among the white Catholics who make up 75% of the church and may actually be gaining some ground among nonwhite Catholics.
Democratic Party is at an inflection point when it comes to courting religious voters
By Ryan Burge — October 1, 2019
(RNS) — Will Democrats continue to try to court the rapidly growing group of religiously unaffiliated Americans, hoping they will offset the losses Democrats are sustaining among white Protestant Christians? Or do they try to make inroads among moderate Christians who have abandoned them in large numbers over the last decade? The answer may decide the 2020 presidential election.
For many religious Americans, the word ‘liberal’ has become taboo
By Ryan Burge — September 11, 2019
(RNS) — If you went to a church on a random Sunday morning in 1974 and grabbed 20 white parishioners, 11 would have been Democrats. Today, four would be Democrats. And those Democrats would outnumber the politically liberal churchgoers by a 2-1 ratio.
By their tweets you will know them: The Democrats’ continuing God gap
By Ryan Burge — August 30, 2019
(RNS) — If they want to win back the White House, Democrats need to reach Christian voters. At least on social media, Democratic candidates are failing to do so.
Just like political parties, religious groups see their rivals as extremists
By Ryan Burge — August 9, 2019
(RNS) — White evangelicals and atheists sum up the political landscape the same way: “My party is moderate and sensible, while the other party is filled with extremists.”
Why do evangelicals support Trump? Blame the suburbs
By Ryan Burge — July 30, 2019
(RNS) — Urban evangelicals have some room for political diversity. Suburban and rural evangelicals do not.
Rise of the ‘nothing in particulars’ may be sign of a disjointed, disaffected and lonely future
By Ryan Burge — July 3, 2019
(RNS) — The data indicates that those who are 'nothing in particular' aren’t just cut off from organized religion. They have disconnected from many of the foundational structures that hold us together as communities.