Where have all the Southern Baptists gone?: The ARDA

I recently realized that this blog has never featured The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA)! What an oversight. So, if you have not checked out this free resource, you must do so ... soon. The ARDA provides access to major data resources focused on religion in America and other countries. Some of the most popular data studies include the Baylor Religion Survey, the General Social Surveys, the National Congregations Study. Check out the Data Archive for additional studies.

ARDA has much more than data sets though. Through the National Profiles, US Congregational Membership, Denominations, and QuickStats areas you can explore many kinds of questions.

For example, here is a question from the General Social Survey about views of the Bible.
They've also recently added some basic mapping capabilities in partnership with Social Explorer. Want to know the distribution of Southern Baptists in North Carolina? The ARDA knows.


ARDA is an invaluable tool for research and instruction in a wide range of religious studies topics. If you are an instructor, check out this webinar on using the ARDA in the classroom. And did I mention it is free?