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The Study of Religious Organizations

A central focus of the Institute throughout its history has been the study of all types of religious organizations.  Our assertion is that religious life primarily takes place in and is given its shape by concrete organizational forms.  

Therefore, rather than conducting surveys of individuals apart from the faith community that sustains them, the Institute and the research contained in this section examines the thoughts and impressions of congregational members, clergy and religious leaders and denominational officials in the social structures to which they relate.

Pages included here are:

an extensive list of official denominational web sites

denominational research papers

reports on studies of congregations

research focused on judicatories (the middle level of
organization in a denomination)

resources on new religious movements

links to parachurch, special purpose groups and other
non-profits

and a section on very large protestant megachurches.