Religion and education: recent evidence from the United States

Abstract

While there is evidence to suggest that education is positively related to religious activity, it is possible that education may be endogenous. We re-examine this relationship using the cumulative US General Social Survey (GSS) data file. While we observe a positive correlation between education and attendance at religious services, we find no evidence to support a causal inference. Moreover, while we observe a positive association between education and religious contributions, the possibility of causal connection cannot be dismissed.