Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

has a number of centers of worship for a multitude of faiths. According to the

Pew Research Center The Pew Research Center (also simply known as Pew) is a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world. It ...

, the most practiced religion is

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

with 68%, (41%

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and 26%

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

) followed by

Irreligion Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, religious skepticism, ...

with 24%,

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

with 3%, and other religions with 5%. The most predominant, Christianity, has been seen in the city since its foundation. However many new religions have arrived, including

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

. With immigration from the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, these two religions have increased their presence. The largest concentrations of Muslims and Hindus live in the Northeast and North parts of the city, Center City,

West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Although there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the n ...

, and sprawling into the nearby suburbs.

Christianity in Philadelphia

Christianity is the dominant religion in the city of Philadelphia. According to a 2014 study by the

, as high as 68% of the population of the city identified themselves as Christians. These findings were not official however. There are over 65 Christian churches in the Philadelphia area.

Judaism in Philadelphia

Metropolitan Philadelphia's

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

population, the sixth-largest in the United States, was estimated at 206,000 in 2001 and almost 300,000 in 2009. (though this number includes many unaffiliated Jews). Jewish traders were operating in southeastern Pennsylvania long before

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...

. Furthermore, Jews in Philadelphia took a prominent part in the

War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

. Although the majority of the early Jewish residents were of Portuguese or Spanish descent, some among them had emigrated from Germany and

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. About the beginning of the 19th century, a number of Jews from the latter countries, finding the services of the Congregation Mickvé Israel unfamiliar to them, resolved to form a new congregation which would use the ritual to which they had been accustomed.

Islam in Philadelphia

With immigration from the

, the

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, and

, Islam has seen a huge growth in Philadelphia. The largest concentrations of Muslims live in the Northeast and North parts of the city, Center City,

, and sprawling into the nearby suburbs. Also the Muslim African American community in Philadelphia has grown exponentially over the last decade, and is often seen as a cultural hub for African American Muslims across the country. According to several statistics, Philadelphia has surpassed Detroit and New York City to become the American metropolitan area with the highest proportion of Muslims.

Other religions

Religions with less numerous adherents can also be found. There are significant pockets of

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

in Center City,

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

, Northeast Philly, and other neighborhoods with significant Asian American populations. There are Caribbean and

African traditional religion The beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse, and include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural and are passed dow ...

s in North and West Philadelphia. These numbers are also growing. Historically the city has strong connections to The

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

Unitarian Universalism Unitarian Universalism (abbreviated UUism or UU) is a liberal religious tradition characterized by its commitment to theological diversity, inclusivity, and social justice. Unitarian Universalists do not adhere to a single creed or doctrine. I ...

, and

Ethical Culture The Ethical movement (also the Ethical Culture movement, Ethical Humanism, and Ethical Culture) is an ethical, educational, and Religious humanism, religious movement established in 1877 by the academic Felix Adler (professor), Felix Adler (185 ...

, all of which continue to be represented in the city. The

Friends General Conference Friends General Conference (FGC) is an association of Quakers in the United States and Canada made up of 16 yearly meetings and 12 autonomous monthly meetings. "Monthly meetings" are what Quakers call congregations; "yearly meetings" are orga ...

is based in Philadelphia.

African diasporic religions African diaspora religions, also described as Afro-American religions, are a number of related beliefs that developed in the Americas in various areas of the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Southern United States. They derive from traditional ...

are popular in Hispanic and Caribbean communities in North and West Philadelphia.http://articles.philly.com/1987-01-04/news/26186836_1_occult-tongue-voodoo

Gallery

File:Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.jpg,

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, located at 38th and Ludlow Streets in West Philadelphia, is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Formerly known as the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Saviour, it was built in 1855, ...

at 19 South 38th Street File:Society Hill Synagogue.jpg,

Society Hill Synagogue Society Hill Synagogue is an Non-denominational Judaism, unaffiliated Judaism, Jewish congregation and synagogue located in the Society Hill section of Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The synagogue is home to a 300 ...

File:Lian Sheng True Buddha Temple - 1539 McKean St Philadelphia PA 19145 (DSC 1511).jpg, Lian Sheng True

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

File:Bait Ul Aafiyat mosque North Philly jeh.jpg, Bait Ul Aafiyat mosque in North Philly File:Philadelphia LDS temple 1.jpg,

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple The Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple is a Temple (LDS Church), temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the Logan Square, Philadelphia, Logan Square neighborhood of Philadelphia. Completed in 2016, the intent to ...

File:Interior of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.JPG, Interior of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

Bibliography

Religion in Philadelphia
by ''Elizabeth Hayes Alvarez'', Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2016

References

{{reflist Religion in Philadelphia">

Christianity in Philadelphia

Judaism in Philadelphia

Islam in Philadelphia

Other religions

Gallery

See also

Bibliography

References