World's Religions in Figures

Todd M. Johnson is Associate Professor of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. He is Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA) at Boston University, where he co-edits the World Religion Database. Professor Johnson is the co-editor of the Atlas of Global Christianity (with Kenneth Ross, 2009) and co-author of World Christianity Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition (with David Barrett and George Kurian, 2001) and World Christian Trends (with David Barrett, et al, 2001). He is also the editor of the World Christian Database. Brian J. Grim is Director of cross-national data and Senior Researcher in religion and world affairs at the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life in Washington, D.C. Dr Grim is also Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs at Boston University, where he co-edits the World Religion Database. He is co-author of The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the 21st Century (with Roger Finke, 2011).

• List of Figures xiiiList of Tables xivForeword xixAcknowledgments xxivIntroduction 1Part I Overview 71 Global Religious Populations, 1910–2010 92 Regional Religious Populations, 1910–2010 813 Religious Diversity 934 Projecting Religious Populations, 2010–50 111Part II Data and Methods 1335 Defining Religion and Religious Identity 1356 Religious Demography as an Emerging Discipline 1437 Major Sources and Collections of Data 1638 Analyzing Data on Religion 1909 Dynamics of Change in Religious Populations 205Part III Case Studies 22710 Estimating Changes in the Global Muslim Population 22911 Factors Driving Change in the Global Muslim Population 25812 Estimating China’s Religious Populations 28613 Assessing Religious Populations in the Sudans 31314 Migration and Religious Diasporas 321Conclusion 333Appendix: World Religions by Country 337Glossary 346Index 360

“Todd Johnson and Brian Grim have produced a synthesis of statistics and commentary that will stand as a landmark in the quantitative study of world religions.”  (Journal of Contemporary Religion, 1 October 2014)“A very scholarly book with huge amounts of data included in it but with a major contribution to the methodology of taking forward religious demography as a discipline.  The World’s Religions in Figuresis strongly recommended for any library with a focus on religion, sociology or world politics.”  (Reference Reviews, 1 October 2014)“Todd Johnson and Brian Grim have produced a synthesis of statistics and commentary that will stand as a landmark in the quantitative study of world religions.”  (Journal of Contemporary Religion, 1 August 2014)“And in my opinion, this book is a must read for everyone interested in the field of international religious demography.”  (Journal for the scientific study of Religion, 10 June 2014)"This book is a comprehensive introduction to religious demography, both by way of method and by way of data and results.”  (International Journal for Religious Freedom, 1 October 2013)“It is a technical, critical volume.  For those who are seriously engaged in demographic studies and the manner in which international religious traditions have developed, and are now developing, this book will have value and significance.  It is a remarkable achievement.”  (Association for Mormon Letters, 1 September 2013)