301 University Blvd
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
Biography
Dr. Dollhopf has authored numerous publications on congregations, congregational vitality, and faith-based nonprofits; she was recently awarded the Religious Research Association’s 2024 Outstanding Applied Research Award for her article on congregation vitality in the United Church of Christ.
Dr. Dollhopf is currently the president of the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, the research chair for the Faith Communities Today interfaith survey, the secretary of the Religious Research Association, and the co-chair of the 2030 U.S. Religion Census.
Education
Ph.D., Sociology, Pennsylvania State University
M.A., Sociology, Pennsylvania State University
M.A., American Studies, Lehigh University
B.A., Political Science and Rhetoric & Communication, University of Pittsburgh
Publications
Dollhopf, Erica J. 2023. “Trends in U.S. Religion Census Adherents Data, 2010-2020.” In C. Grammich, E. Dollhopf, M. Gautier, R. Houseal, D. Jones, A. Krindatch, R. Stanley, and S. Thumma, 2020 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregations and Adherents Study (pp. 29-35). Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. https://www.usreligioncensus.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/2020_US_Religion_Census.pdf
Dollhopf, Erica J. 2021. “Overall Congregational Vitality in the United Church of Christ: Predictors and Implications.” Theology Today 78(3): 225-235.
Scheitle, Christopher P., Erica J. Dollhopf, and John D. McCarthy. 2017. “Spiritual Districts: Making Sense of U.S. Communities with Highly Concentrated Religious Nonprofit Sectors.” Social Science History 41(3): 505-532.
Dollhopf, Erica J. and Christopher P. Scheitle. 2016. “Explaining Variations in the Founding Process among a Sample of Recently Founded Religious Nonprofits.” Nonprofit Management & Leadership 27(2): 261-272.
Scheitle, Christopher P., Erica J. Dollhopf, and John D. McCarthy. 2016. “Exploring the Registration of Religious Congregations with the IRS.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 45(2): 397-408.
Dollhopf, Erica J., Christopher P. Scheitle, and John D. McCarthy. 2015. “Initial Results from a Survey of Two Cohorts of Religious Nonprofits.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 54(1): 156-165.
Dollhopf, Erica J. and Christopher P. Scheitle. 2013. “Decline and Conflict: Causes and Consequences of Leadership Transitions in Religious Congregations.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 52(4): 675-697.
Research Interests
Religion, Congregations, Philanthropy, Nonprofit Organizations, Leadership, Organizations, Social Movements, Careers and Employment, Social Theory, Quantitative Research Methods, Mixed Research Methods, Statistics, Games
Honors and Awards
2024: Outstanding Applied Research Award, Religious Research Association
2017: Young Scholar in Social Movements, The Center for the Study of Social Movements at the University of Notre Dame
2010: Campbell Prize, Lehigh University, awarded to Master’s Thesis for outstanding social science research
2006: Bracken Award, for Outstanding University of Pittsburgh Senior Political Science Student
Other Activities
Co-Chair, 2030 US Religion Census
President, Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies
Research Chair, Faith Communities Today
Secretary, Religious Research Association