Pew Research Center (the Center) proposes to conduct a methodologically rigorous, nationwide study of religious pluralism in the United States.
Pluralistic attitudes and behaviors lead Americans to engage with others who hold different religious views. Pluralism does not require acceptance of all viewpoints as true, but it does entail a willingness to live together despite differences. (Eck, 2001.)
As a non-advocacy organization, the Center’s goal is not to promote religious pluralism but to measure it accurately and impartially, following best practices in survey methods. With this study, the Center hopes to establish valid and reliable baseline measures that can be used for years to come to assess whether the U.S. public is becoming more religiously pluralistic, or less.