Jews and the American Religious Landscape

by Uzi Rebhun

Overview

Jews and the American Religious Landscape explores major complementary facets of American Judaism and Jewish life through a comprehensive analysis of contemporary demographic and sociological data. Focusing on the most important aspects of social development—geographic location, socioeconomic stratification, family dynamics, group identification, and political orientation—the volume adds empirical value to questions concerning the strengths of Jews as a religious and cultural group in America and the strategies they have developed to integrate successfully into a Christian society.

With advanced analyses of data gathered by the Pew Research Center, Jews and the American Religious Landscape shows that Jews, like other religious and ethnic minorities, strongly identify with their religion and culture. Yet their particular religiosity, along with such factors as population dispersion, professional networks, and education, have created different outcomes in various contexts. Living under the influence of a Christian majority and a liberal political system has also cultivated a distinct ethos of solidarity and egalitarianism, enabling Judaism to absorb new patterns in ways that mirror its integration into American life. Rich in information thoughtfully construed, this book presents a remarkable portrait of what it means to be an American Jew today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231178266
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Uzi Rebhun is an associate professor of the demography of the Jewish people and holds the Shlomo Argov Chair in Israel-Diaspora Relations at the A. Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is also a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. His most recent works include American Israelis: Migration, Transnationalism, and Diasporic Identity (with L. Lev Ari, 2010), The Wandering Jew in America (2011), and edited volumes The Social Scientific Study of Jewry: Sources, Approaches, Debates (2014) and Research in Jewish Demography and Identity (with E. Lederhendler, 2015).

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: Religion in America
1. Population Size and Dynamics
2. Spatial and Socioeconomic Stratification
3. Interfaith Marriage
4. Religious Identification
5. Political Orientation
Epilogue: Jews and the American Religious Landscape
Appendix A1. Religious Identificational Variables Used in Analysis
Appendix A2. Loading of Questions on Religious Identification Factors: Principle Component Varimax Rotation
Notes
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

This work provides data and reflection on several of the central issues facing contemporary Jews: population, size, spatial and economic stratification, intermarriage, religious identification, and political orientation.

Contemporary Sociology

Highly recommended.

Choice

Uzi Rebhun's elegant comparative study of Jews and the American Religious Landscape deftly situates American Jews in multiple, overlapping contexts that yield fascinating results. Whether he is examining demography, religiosity, politics, or education, Rebhun's multivariate analysis disrupts accepted wisdom and points to the enormous value of comparison when trying to understand American Jews.

Deborah Dash Moore

Jews and the American Religious Landscape makes an important empirical contribution to our understanding of the distinctive sociodemographic profile of American Jewry.

H-Judaic - Emily Sigalow

Jews and the American Religious Landscape is an ambitious study of American Judaism in relation to the other religious traditions currently developing within the United States. It identifies American Judaism in terms of social class composition, demographic dynamics, educational attainment, religious versus ethnic adherence, native-born versus immigrant composition, religious practices, and voter choice in U.S. presidential elections. Rebhun's effort is masterful, and readers will both enjoy the work and be enlightened by its unique ability to combine structural analysis with cultural analysis. This book will be regarded as a landmark study of religion and politics in the United States.

Thomas A. Hirschl

Rebhun has produced a pioneering study that provides an in-depth comparative analysis of the sociopolitical and religious patterns of America's Jews and is a major contribution to our understanding of the place of Jews in America's religious landscape.

Chaim I. Waxman

An even, inclusive, and nonsectarian outlook on the various developments he examines. In sum, this is truly a good book, and I highly recommend it.

Studies in Contemporary Jewry