Belief in God and Life-After-Death Among American Adults

Abstract

The chapter summarizes the findings of large national surveys of U.S. adults and studies of convenience samples of American college students about their belief in God and life-after-death. This research shows that most Americans believe in God and that the percentage of people in the U.S. who believe in God is higher than the percentage in almost every other country in the world. However, Americans hold many different beliefs about the nature of God, some of which are overlapping and some of which are contradictory. Moreover, some beliefs about the nature of God are rooted in the Old Testament, some are rooted in the New Testament, and some have no Biblical connection at all. The most commonly held beliefs about God among Americans are that God is ever-present, just, kind, loving, forgiving, and fatherly; less commonly held beliefs are that God is critical, punishing, severe, and wrathful. The chapter also presents results showing that most Americans believe in life-after-death, but these beliefs take various forms. The most common American beliefs about the afterlife are that it entails peace and tranquility, union with God, and reunion with loved ones.