Religious Reading across Borders and Demographics: A Study of 22 Countries
Religious Reading across Borders and Demographics: A Study of 22 Countries
Author(s): Dorota Węziak-Białowolska, Piotr Białowolski, Richard G. Cowden, Alex Fogleman, Matt Bradshaw, R. Noah Padgett, Byron R. Johnson, Tyler J VanderWeeleSubject(s): Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Sociology of Culture, Psychology of Religion
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: religious reading and listening; demographic variations; religiosity; cross-cultural; Global Flourishing Study
Summary/Abstract: Previous research on religiosity mainly focuses on religious service attendance and prayer. Less is known about reading and listening to sacred texts (RLST) across cultures. This study examines RLST habits across 22 countries and key demographic groups, using data from 202,898 individuals. The country-specific results are pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. The prevalence of RLST varied substantially, from 4% in Japan to 70% in Tanzania, with higher rates in less Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) countries. Regular religious services attendees are more likely to engage in this practice and associations with gender, age, marital status, education, labour market status, and immigration background were found. Substantial variation within countries was also noted. The findings offer insights into sociocultural patterns of RLST across diverse populations.
Journal: Studia Religiologica. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
- Issue Year: 59/2026
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 21-51
- Page Count: 31
- Language: English
