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Religion in Tennessee
The United States had rich and diverse religious cultures, and the freedom to practice beliefs has helped give rise to a highly unique religious pluralism and freedom. Tennessee is included in most definitions of the Bible Belt and is ranked as one of the nation’s most religious states.
Tennessee is the 16th most populated US State, with Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch.
Since the 1990s, the religious share of Christians has decreased, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions have spread, mainly from immigration.
also read about Race and Ethnicity in Tennessee
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Tennessee Religion Percentage
Christianity is the main religion followed by 81% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in Tennessee is Protestant (73%) followed by Roman Catholics (6%), Mormonism (1%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%), and Other Christians (1%).
14% of the population don’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion and the rest 3% follow other non-Christian-based religions. Other Religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 81% |
| – Protestantism | – 73% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 6% |
| – Mormonism | -1% |
| – Eastern Orthodoxy | – <1% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – 1% |
| – Other Christian | – 1% |
| Other Religion | 3% |
| Judaism | 1% |
| Islam | 1% |
| Buddhism | <1% |
| Hinduism | <1% |
| Other religion | 1% |
| No religion | 14% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Source: Pew Research Center
read about Religion in United States
Christianity in Tennessee
Christianity with 81% followers is the largest in Tennessee. All Protestant denominations accounted for 73% of the population, and Catholics are 6% of the population.
Evangelical Protestants are the largest individual denomination if Protestantism is divided into various denominations instead of being counted as a single category.
Rest include Mormons, Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller denominations.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 73% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 52% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 13% |
| – Black church | – 8% |
| Roman Catholicism | 6% |
| Mormonism | 1% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | <1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 1% |
| Other Christians | 1% |
read about Christianity in the United States
Protestantism in Tennessee
Among Christians in Tennessee, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 73% of the state’s population. Protestantism in the United States has branched out into several branches, denominations, and various interdenominational and related movements.
Protestants by tradition can be further classified into three main denominations. Evangelical is the largest and followed by 52% of the population, Next are Mainline Protestants (13%) and 8 % follow Black Church.
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Evangelical Protestant | 52% |
| Mainline Protestant | 13% |
| Black church | 8% |
Protestantism is also comprised of numerous denominational families (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal) that fit into one or more of the traditions. The largest denominations by the number of adherents are the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, and the Churches of Christ.
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the largest 5 Protestant Churches by adherents in 2020 are as follows
| # | Protestant Churches | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| 1 | Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 1,310,341 |
| 2 | Non-denominational Christian Churches | Evangelical | Other Groups | 660,498 |
| 3 | United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 335,322 |
| 4 | Churches of Christ | Evangelical | Restorationists | 197,908 |
| 5 | National Missionary Baptist Convention of America | Black Protestant | Baptist | 149,362 |
| 6 | National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. | Black Protestant | Baptist | 73,659 |
| 7 | Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 67,360 |
read about Protestants in the United States
Catholics in Tennessee
Catholic Church at 6% of the state population and is the second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the fourth largest denomination in Tennessee by adherents in 2020 is the Catholic Church with 275,494 members
Since the 1990s, the religious share of Christians has decreased, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions have spread, mainly from immigration. Other Religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
also read about Population in Tennessee
Sources
Note: The US census does not contain questions about one’s religious affiliation. Our Article is based on surveys conducted by various institutions and agencies.
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