Religion on Capitol Hill: What Are the Faith Backgrounds of the 113th Congress?

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The religious and faith backgrounds of the 113th Congress are more diverse now than at any time in the nation's history, with the addition of America's first Buddhist senator and the first Hindu in the House of Representatives.

Since the birth of the nation in 1776, Congress has typically reflected the religious beliefs of the districts from which they were elected. But gone are days where the overwhelming majority of Congress was Protestant.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, with the assistance of Congressional Quarterly's Roll Call, compiled data comparing the faith breakdown of Congress to the American populationthe 113th Congress has slightly fewer Protestants and slightly more Catholics. The number of Jewish members decreased slightly from 39 to 33 while the number of Mormons in both chambers remains the same at just under 2 percent.

One of the most notable changes in the new Congress is the addition of the first Hindu member in the House. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), an Iraq War veteran who served on the Honolulu City and in the Hawaii state legislature, took her oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita instead of the Bible, Torah or the Quran.

"I chose to take the oath of office with my personal copy of the Bhagavad-Gita because its teachings have inspired me to strive to be a servant-leader, dedicating my life in the service of