Roger Finke
Encyclopedia
Roger Finke is a Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies at the Pennsylvania State University who is noteworthy not only for playing a major role in recent transformations of both theory and research methods in his field, but also for leading a large number of other scholars to create the Association of Religion Data Archives
which since 1996 has operated a major digital library of questionnaire data and teaching resources.
in 1984, and held faculty positions at Concordia College in Illinois, Loyola University of Chicago, and Purdue University, before settling at the Pennsylvania State University
in 2000.
. Supported by the Lilly Endowment
and the John Templeton Foundation
, its chief accomplishment is a diverse, freely-available online digital library
offering a multitude of information resources for researchers, teachers, students, religious leaders, and the general public. He is a Fellow of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion and past President of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture.
Association of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
which since 1996 has operated a major digital library of questionnaire data and teaching resources.
Career
Roger Finke earned his doctorate in sociology at the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1984, and held faculty positions at Concordia College in Illinois, Loyola University of Chicago, and Purdue University, before settling at the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
in 2000.
Organizations
Professor Finke was the founding director of the American Religion Data Archive, serving from 1996 through 2005 when the archive evolved into the Association of Religion Data ArchivesAssociation of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
. Supported by the Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and is among the ten largest such endowments in the United States....
and the John Templeton Foundation
John Templeton Foundation
"The John Templeton Foundation is a philanthropic organizationthat funds inter-disciplinary research about human purpose and ultimate reality. It is usually referred to simply as the Templeton Foundation...
, its chief accomplishment is a diverse, freely-available online digital library
Digital library
A digital library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats and accessible by computers. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks...
offering a multitude of information resources for researchers, teachers, students, religious leaders, and the general public. He is a Fellow of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion and past President of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture.