Born-again Christians Are Less Southern Baptist Than They Used to Be

In a new Washington Post Op-ed, PRRI Public Fellows Flavio Rogerio Hickel Jr, Fanhao Nie, Leah Payne, and Tarah Williams contrast the decline of “born-again” Southern Baptists with the growth of charismatic and Pentecostal worship in the U.S. While charismatic practices (such as speaking in tongues and receiving direct revelation from God) were previously peripheral in conservative white evangelicalism, this has reversed in recent years. New research from Hickel, Nie, Payne, and Williams confirms this, finding that 38% of Christian churchgoers polled have experienced or witnessed charismatic practices at their religious services, with younger Christians even more likely to have had these experiences. This change in how evangelicals are worshiping is shifting the center of evangelical political power from the Southern Baptist Convention to charismatic faith leaders and gatherings such as the “ReAwaken America” tour.

Ohio Moves Closer to Ballot Issue That Would Protect Abortion Rights

Kate Zernike for the New York Times reports that supporters of abortion rights in Ohio announced they have enough signatures to put a measure seeking to establish a right to abortion in the state’s Constitution on the ballot in November. According to current state law, the measure needs 413,466 signatures to qualify. Advocates say they have roughly 710,000 signatures across all of the state’s 88 counties, however, the signatures have not yet been verified. In a 2022 PRRI poll, 66% of Ohio residents said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, up from 56% in December 2018.

Elite Multiculturalism Is Over

At The Atlantic, Xochitl Gonzalez writes that following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action, the time of infinite possibilities for people of color from low-income backgrounds is over. Gonzalez points out, however, that affirmative action also benefited “the predominantly white, elite institutions whose very DNA was changed by the practice,” noting that many minority students will likely be their white classmates’ only nonwhite friend. PRRI research finds that 67% of white Americans have networks that are entirely white, while 46% of Black Americans’ networks are entirely Black, 37% of Hispanic Americans’ networks are entirely Hispanic, and 31% of AAPI Americans’ networks are made up entirely of other Americans who identify as AAPI.

The Dalai Lama, Tibetan Spiritual Leader, Celebrates 88th Birthday

Ashwini Bhatia for AP News covers the Dalai Lama’s 88th birthday celebrations that were held on Thursday. Hundreds of his supporters and exiled Tibetans visited his hillside headquarters in Dharamsala, India, where he has lived since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. “We are celebrating my 88th birthday but look at me, I look barely 50,” the Dalai Lama said. Though the Dalai Lama retired as the political head of his exiled government over a decade ago, he remains the spiritual leader for 6.7 million Tibetans worldwide and a symbol of their struggle.

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Read the full PRRI Public Fellows Spotlight The Future of “Born-Again Evangelicalism” Is Charismatic and Pentecostal here.