Lol - cheerful chappy, aren't you?
Rex - it will immediately become clear to you, if you look at the url you provided, that the claims you assert were made by Fox are not claims made by the study itself. (I would be interested to be pointed to whatever Fox said, though!)
I am only beginning to research the study - but already a few alarm bells are going off.
The study (which may be a perfectly methodologically sound one) is funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.
Here is their mission, in part:
http://www.lillyendowment.org/religion.html
"In recent years Lilly Endowment's religion grantmaking has been focused on major, interlocking efforts aimed at enhancing and sustaining the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes. The Endowment has focused on supporting programs and projects that address four broad questions: How do we identify, recruit and call forth a new generation of talented Christian pastors? How do we best prepare and train new ministers for effective and faithful pastoral leadership? How do we improve the skills and sustain the excellence of pastors currently serving congregations? What are basic questions about the current state of the practice of ministry that we need to answer to improve the quality of ministry?
Responding to these questions prompts a series of important additional questions that must also be explored and addressed in order to make progress in this arena. These include questions about these topics: the characteristics of vital and healthy congregations; the knowledge, skills and practices of faithful and effective pastors; the ways the Christian faith is transmitted to the next generation; how young people are encouraged to explore their faith and consider ministry as their life's work; the shape of theological education; how to get new pastors off to a good start; the experiences necessary to renew and sustain enthusiasm and excellence in the ministries of established pastors; and the role religion has played and continues to play in the lives of individuals as well as in American society.
The Endowment's efforts are based on several convictions about what is essential for supporting and sustaining strong and vital congregations. The first is that the quality of pastoral leadership is critical to the health of congregations. When well-prepared, thoughtful, imaginative, able and caring pastors lead congregations, these communities of faith tend to thrive.
Theological education is absolutely pivotal, and seminaries play a critical role in preparing pastors for their leadership in congregations. Theological schools engage students in an exploration of the wisdom of the Christian tradition and train pastors how to bring biblical and theological insights to bear on contemporary issues.
There also is an ecology of institutions, including congregations, regional and national judicatories, colleges and universities, seminaries, independent agencies, retreat and conference centers, publishers and other supporting organizations, that must work collaboratively in addressing challenges and in maintaining strong and vibrant religious traditions and communities.
Major research projects support these efforts and provide a solid portrait of 21st century American society and church life. This base of information enables pastors and religious leaders to make informed decisions about their ministries and the broader public to understand more deeply the role of religion in American life.
In summary, the Endowment supports efforts:
* to deepen and enrich the religious lives of American Christians, primarily by helping strengthen their churches;
* to support the recruitment and education of a new generation of talented ministers and other religious leaders;
* to encourage theological reflection and religious practices that recover the wisdom of the Christian tradition for our contemporary situation;
* to support scholars and educators who seek to help the American people better understand contemporary religion and the role it plays in our public and personal lives; and
* to strengthen the contributions that religious ideas, practices, values and institutions make to the common good of our society.
In order to get an overview of some of the many projects that are supported through the Religion Division's grantmaking, click on Resources for American Christianity (www.resourcingchristianity.org). Information about a number of major Endowment-funded projects and organizations may be found by going directly to the following links....."
Not, perhaps, the least ideologically partisan of funding bodies??? Hmmm?? heard of observer effect?
I do not have time to research this further - I have to go to work - but I shall have a look at their stuff later.
