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Congregational QuickStats > Raising Hands?

Did anyone besides the leader raise their hands in praise during the service? (National Congregations Study, Cumulative Dataset (1998, 2006-2007, 2012, and 2018-2019))

Each question was asked of a key informant from the congregation, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader.

Raising Hands? (2018-2019)

[Results weighted by WT_ALL4_CONG_DUP]

Raising Hands? (Demographic Patterns)

Raising Hands? by Political Ideology (2018-2019)

	More conservative	Right in the middle	More liberal	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	66.4% 357	66.5% 307	40.8% 73	45	62.5% 737
No	33.6% 181	33.5% 155	59.2% 106	23	37.5% 442
Missing	8	3	1	0	12
TOTAL	100.0% 538	100.0% 462	100.0% 179	68	1179

Raising Hands? by Region (2018-2019)

	New England or Mid-Atlantic	East North Central or West North Central	South Atlantic, East South Central or West South Central	Mountain or Pacific	TOTAL
Yes	50.9% 83	54.6% 161	71.9% 415	58.3% 123	62.8% 782
No	49.1% 80	45.4% 134	28.1% 162	41.7% 88	37.2% 464
Missing	2	6	9	0	17
TOTAL	100.0% 163	100.0% 295	100.0% 577	100.0% 211	1246

Raising Hands? by Religious Tradition (2018-2019)

	Roman Catholic	White conservative, evangelical or fundamentalist	Black Protestant	White liberal or moderate	Non-Christian	TOTAL
Yes	59.7% 46	69.1% 367	96.2% 256	39.2% 102	9.7% 11	62.7% 782
No	40.3% 31	30.9% 164	3.8% 10	60.8% 158	90.3% 102	37.3% 465
Missing	0	9	3	4	0	16
TOTAL	100.0% 77	100.0% 531	100.0% 266	100.0% 260	100.0% 113	1247

Raising Hands? by Theology (2018-2019)

	More conservative	Right in the middle	More liberal	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	68.5% 437	66.3% 267	23.9% 34	43	62.4% 738
No	31.5% 201	33.7% 136	76.1% 108	20	37.6% 445
Missing	8	3	1	0	12
TOTAL	100.0% 638	100.0% 403	100.0% 142	63	1183

Raising Hands? by Year of Survey

	1998	2006-2007	2012	2018-2019	TOTAL
Yes	44.5% 546	56.7% 852	59.4% 786	62.7% 781	56.0% 2965
No	55.5% 680	43.3% 650	40.6% 538	37.3% 464	44.0% 2332
Missing	8	5	8	16	37
TOTAL	100.0% 1226	100.0% 1502	100.0% 1324	100.0% 1245	5297

Notes

The National Congregations Study (NCS) dataset fills a void in the sociological study of congregations by providing data that can be used to draw a nationally aggregate picture of congregations. Thanks to innovations in sampling techniques, the 1998 NCS data was the first nationally representative sample of American congregations. Subsequent NCS waves were conducted in 2006-07, 2012, and 2018-19. The 2006-07 NCS sample includes a subset of cases that were also interviewed in 1998. The 2012 NCS includes an oversample of Hispanic congregations. The 2018-19 NCS includes a subset of congregations that also were interviewed in 2012.

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