Religion and education: recent evidence from the United States

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.