WHAT THE POLLS DONT SHOW - A CLOSER LOOK AT UNITED-STATES CHURCH ATTENDANCE

Characterizations of religious life in the United States typically ref erence poll data on church attendance. Consistently high levels of par ticipation reported in these data suggest an exceptionally religious p opulation, little affected by secularizing trends. This picture of vit ality, however, contradicts other empirical evidence indicating declin ing strength among many religious institutions. Using a variety of dat a sources and data collection procedures, we estimate that church atte ndance rates for Protestants and Catholics are, in fact, approximately one-half the generally accepted levels.