The International Catholic Stewardship Council is a leading organization promoting increased stewardship in the Catholic Church. Research has shown that on average, Catholics tend to put less than Protestants — perhaps half as much — in the weekly collection plate. The ICSC, based in Dearborn Heights, Mich., is stepping up efforts to encourage giving. The group has […]

Jonathan Herman is an associate professor of religious studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He has written about Taoist environmentalism in the West.

Giving USA of Chicago, Ill., is the leading foundation dedicated to promoting overall philanthropy and ethical standards for charitable organizations. In its most recent annual survey, using data from 2006, Giving USA reported that Americans gave more than $295 billion to the nation’s 1.4 million charitable and religious organizations, with the largest single share—almost one-third—going to the religious […]

Emily North is pastor of Shalom Mennonite Congregation in Harrisonburg, Va. She taught a class with Duane Beck, pastor of Raleigh Mennonite Church in Raleigh, N.C., Together, called “Sex and the Pulpit” during a leadership training seminar for Mennonite clergy at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg.

Generous Giving Inc. is an evangelical ministry and foundation based in Chattanooga, Tenn., that seeks to encourage stewardship and financially sound practices among Christians. The group’s Web site includes a page of “Statistics & Trends” that provides data and context for this issue. Contact through the website.

The Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches is published by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB)and contains detailed financial data from most denominations. The data is self-reported.

Anne Lapidus Lerner is director and founder of the Jewish Women’s Studies Program, director of the Jewish Feminist Research Group and assistant professor of Jewish literature at Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. She is also faculty adviser to its Isha El Akhota: The Women’s Center.

Lori Hope Lefkovitz is a professor of gender and Judaism at Northeastern University and former director of Kolot: The Center for Jewish Women’s and Gender Studies. She can discuss general questions about gender and Judaism and the place of sexuality in the RRC’s curriculum on sexuality. Contact 215-576-0800 ext. 147, [email protected].

Michael Carroll is a professor emeritus in the department of sociology at the University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. Carroll researches the sociology of religion and migration. He is also a Dean of Faculty of Arts at Laurier University.