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There’s been a disconnect between stories I’ve been hearing from priests and pastors about religion today and what survey data show.

Leaders of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and nondenominational churches report record numbers of converts, full pews and thriving religious education programs.

But researchers tell a more measured story — overall religious trends in the U.S. show little major change. Sure, the stories behind the headlines are real, but they’re largely exceptions to broader trends.

A recent report from the Pew Research Center addresses this disconnect head-on: the data doesn’t back up the story of a national revival.

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