American Ethical Union (1876 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: LiberalReligious Tradition: Other
Description: By the end of the twentieth century, the stance taken by Reform Judaism in America led to a variety of even more liberal approaches to the tradition. The American Ethical Union grew from the thought of Felix Adler, a reform Jewish rabbi who emphasized the cultural aspects of Judaism over its theological unity. Adler, raised Jewish and trained as a rabbi, was inspired by neo-Kantian idealism to push religion toward “pure” ethics and morality. While maintaining a liberal Jewish base, the Union has steadily moved toward humanism as its dominant perspective and has come to include a significant non-Jewish membership and leadership.
Official Site: https://aeu.org/
American Ethical Union: Congregations (2020)1
Top 5 American Ethical Union States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 8 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Missouri | 3 | -- | -- |
| 3 | California | 2 | -- | -- |
| 4 | New Jersey | 2 | -- | -- |
| 5 | North Carolina | 2 | -- | -- |
Top 5 American Ethical Union Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westchester County, NY | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Los Angeles County, CA | 1 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Santa Clara County, CA | 1 | -- | -- |
| 4 | District of Columbia, DC | 1 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Hillsborough County, FL | 1 | -- | -- |
Top 5 American Ethical Union Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area | 10 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area | 2 | -- | -- |
| 3 | St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area | 2 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Asheville, NC Metro Area | 1 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA Metro Area | 1 | -- | -- |
American Ethical Union, Members (1925 - 1988)2
American Ethical Union, Ministers & Churches (1925 - 1988)2
American Ethical Union, Trends (1925 - 1988)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 3,000 | 12 | 7 |
| 1935 | 3,750 | 11 | 7 |
| 1937 | 3,024 | ||
| 1940 | 3,024 | 7 | |
| 1942 | 3,000 | 6 | |
| 1944 | 2,875 | 6 | |
| 1946 | 3,500 | 8 | |
| 1950 | 5,000 | 8 | |
| 1951 | 5,000 | 11 | |
| 1952 | 5,000 | 21 | 18 |
| 1953 | 5,265 | 23 | 19 |
| 1954 | 5,470 | 21 | 20 |
| 1955 | 5,678 | 21 | 23 |
| 1956 | 6,000 | 24 | 22 |
| 1957 | 6,500 | 24 | 22 |
| 1959 | 6,600 | 22 | 23 |
| 1960 | 6,700 | 23 | 28 |
| 1961 | 7,000 | 23 | 30 |
| 1962 | 7,050 | 23 | 30 |
| 1965 | 5,500 | 30 | 30 |
| 1966 | 5,500 | 38 | 50 |
| 1969 | 6,000 | 37 | 30 |
| 1970 | 6,000 | 37 | 30 |
| 1972 | 5,000 | 37 | 25 |
| 1974 | 5,000 | 36 | 25 |
| 1975 | 5,000 | 36 | 25 |
| 1976 | 5,000 | 38 | 25 |
| 1977 | 5,000 | 32 | 25 |
| 1978 | 5,000 | 27 | 21 |
| 1979 | 5,000 | 27 | 21 |
| 1980 | 4,000 | 32 | 21 |
| 1981 | 4,000 | 30 | 22 |
| 1982 | 4,000 | 32 | 25 |
| 1983 | 4,000 | 34 | 26 |
| 1984 | 4,000 | 36 | 26 |
| 1985 | 3,500 | 41 | 23 |
| 1986 | 3,500 | 45 | 21 |
| 1987 | 3,500 | 45 | 21 |
| 1988 | 3,212 | 43 | 21 |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
