Review Essay. Making sense of the census, or, what 1,999,563,838 Christians might mean for the study of religion

McClymond, Michael J.

doi:10.1093/jaar/70.4.875

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Some have argued that projections of religious composition for years such as 2025 and 2050 should not be included with the empirical data, as they are merely conjecture (McClymond 2002). Irvin (2005) argues against making predictions about the future of worldwide religion based on recent statistics because Christian growth in Asia and Africa will not necessarily continue along the trajectory it has in past decades.…”

Section: Critiques Of the Wcdmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is also concern about possible bias because the WCE was originally developed as a Christian missionary tool. Some of the country descriptions in the WCE have been characterized as having an anti‐Catholic and pro‐Protestant orientation (McClymond 2002:881), and Martin describes the WCE as a work “dedicated to the conversion of mankind” (1990:293). Criticisms have also been raised about projections for different religious groups and demographic trends, as the WCD provides empirical data for the population of religious groups well into the future.…”

Section: Critiques Of the Wcdmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating the Religious Composition of All Nations: An Empirical Assessment of the World Christian Database

Hsu

Reynolds

Hackett

et al. 2008

Scientific Study of Religion

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The international religious data in the World Christian Database (WCD), and its print predecessor, the World Christian Encyclopedia (WCE) have been used frequently in academic studies and the popular press. Scholars have raised questions about the WCD's estimates categories, and potential bias, but the data have not yet been systematically assessed. We test the reliability of the WCD by comparing its religious composition estimates to four other data sources (World Values Survey, Pew Global Assessment Project,CIA World Factbook, and the U.S. Department of State), finding that estimates are highly correlated. In comparing the WCD estimates for Islamic countries and American Christian adherents with local data sources, we identify specific groups for which estimates differ. In addition, we discuss countries where the data sets provide inconsistent religious estimates. Religious composition estimates in the WCD are generally plausible and consistent with other data sets. The WCD also includes comprehensive nonreligious data. Recommendations regarding the use of the WCD are given.

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Section: Critiques Of the Wcdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Critiques Of the Wcdmentioning

confidence: 99%