Editing Albany, New York (section)

===Religious participation===
[[File:Dutch Church Albany.jpg|thumb|The [[First Church in Albany (Reformed)]] is the oldest congregation in [[Upstate New York]].<ref name="firstchurch" />|alt=A brick church with two tall, symmetric steeples is seen in front of a city street, to the right of a wooded park.]]
Like most cities of comparable age and size, Albany has well-established [[Eastern Orthodox|Orthodox Christian]], Roman [[Catholic]], [[Protestant]], and Jewish communities. Albany is home to the oldest Christian congregation in Upstate New York and the [[Mother Church]]es of two Christian [[dioceses]]. {{As of|2010|06}}, eight churches or religious buildings in the city were listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places in Albany County, New York|National Register of Historic Places]],<ref name="nrhp">{{cite web |title=National Register of Historic Places: Weekly List Actions |publisher=[[National Park Service]], [[United States Department of the Interior]] |access-date=June 19, 2010 |date=June 18, 2010 |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/nrlist.htm}}</ref> one of which—[[St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Albany, New York)|St. Peter's Episcopal Church]] on State Street—is a [[National Historic Landmark]].<ref name="nhl">{{cite web |author=National Park Service |author-link=National Park Service |title=National Historic Landmarks Survey: Database |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/default.cfm |access-date=September 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040606195612/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/default.cfm |archive-date=June 6, 2004 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Established in 1642,<ref>{{cite web |title=The First Church in Albany |publisher=New York State Museum |date=May 1, 2009 |access-date=June 19, 2010 |url=http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/drc.html#second |archive-date=July 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706055033/http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/drc.html#second |url-status=dead }}</ref> the congregation of the [[First Church in Albany (Reformed)]], also known as the North Dutch Church (on North Pearl Street), is the second-oldest [[Reformed Church in America]].<ref name="firstchurch">{{cite journal |last=Hoeven |first=James W. Van |title=The First Church in Albany |url=http://www.reformedworship.org/article/december-1987/first-church-albany |publisher=Faith Alive Christian Resources |journal=Reformed Worship |issue=6 |date=December 1987 |access-date=July 31, 2011}}</ref> The [[Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Albany, New York)|Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception]] (Eagle Street and Madison Avenue, built 1852) is the cathedral of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany]], led by [[Bishop (Catholicism)|Bishop]] [[Edward Scharfenberger]],<ref name="waite120121">Waite (1993), pp. 120–121</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany: A Brief History |publisher=Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany |url=http://www.rcda.org/history.html |access-date=May 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430200024/http://www.rcda.org/history.html |archive-date=April 30, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[Cathedral of All Saints (Albany, New York)|Cathedral of All Saints]] (South Swan Street and Elk Street, built 1888) is the cathedral of the [[Episcopal Diocese of Albany]].<ref name="waite8384">Waite (1993), pp. 83–84</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Diocese of Albany: A Brief History of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany |publisher=Episcopal Diocese of Albany |url=http://www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/about/history.html |access-date=May 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422074058/http://www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/about/history.html |archive-date=April 22, 2006 }}</ref> As of 2023, the city was home to twelve Catholic churches<ref>{{cite web |title=Parish Search |publisher=Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany |url=https://www.rcda.org/parishes/find |access-date=February 18, 2023}}</ref> and four Episcopal churches.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find a Church: Albany |publisher=Episcopal Diocese of Albany |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/find-a-church/albany/ |accessdate=February 18, 2023}}</ref> Despite its history of [[Christendom]], in 2019 the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA was found to be among the most [[Postchristianity|post-Christian]] cities in the United States in a study by Christian polling firm [[The Barna Group]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Most Post-Christian Cities in America: 2019 |publisher=The Barna Group |url=https://www.barna.com/research/post-christian-cities-2019/ |access-date=February 18, 2023 }}</ref>

A significant Jewish presence has existed in Albany as early as 1658.<ref name="Judaica" /> As of 2010, Albany is home to two [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] synagogues, a [[Chabad|Chabad-Lubavitch]] synagogue, an [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] synagogue, and two [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] synagogues.<ref>{{cite web |title=Synagogues in Albany |publisher=MavenSearch (Jewish Web Directory) |url=http://www.mavensearch.com/synagogues/C3329Y3783RX |access-date=June 22, 2010 |year=2010 |archive-date=May 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501112202/http://www.mavensearch.com/synagogues/C3329Y3783RX |url-status=dead }}</ref> Albany is also home to one of the few [[Karaite Judaism|Karaite]] synagogues outside Israel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Homepage |publisher=Karaite Jewish Congregation Oraḥ Ṣaddiqim |year=2010 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |url=http://www.orahsaddiqim.org/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414060746/http://www.orahsaddiqim.org/ |archive-date=April 14, 2009 }} ''This link is not active during [[Shabbat]], which begins on Friday at sundown, [[Eastern Time Zone|local time]], and ends the following Saturday night.''</ref>{{verify source|date=February 2022}} As of 2008, the total membership in Albany's synagogues was estimated at 12,000–13,000, with half the members residing outside the city.<ref name="Judaica">{{cite web |title = Albany (re-published from Encyclopedia Judaica) |url = https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0001_0_00672.html |publisher = The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise |access-date = June 26, 2010}}</ref> Since the early 2000s, there has been an increase in Orthodox Jews moving to Albany from the New York Metro area, largely due to cheaper housing prices and closer walking proximity to synagogues.<ref>{{cite web|title=Orthodox Jews recruit city dwellers to Albany|url=https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Albany-beckons-to-Orthodox-Jews-14908756.php#photo-2802846|publisher=[[Times Union (Albany)]]|first=Lynda|last=Edwards|date=December 15, 2019|access-date=May 9, 2021}}</ref>

The Islamic community in Albany and its surrounding suburbs is represented by at least four major mosques in the region. The Muslim population increased substantially starting in the late 2000s, with the arrival of many refugees from countries such as [[Iraq]], [[Syria]], and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Albany schools consider closing for Muslim holy days |last=Bump |first=Bethany |publisher= Hearst Media |work=Times Union (Albany) |date=March 10, 2017 |accessdate=February 18, 2023 |url=https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Albany-schools-consider-closing-for-Muslim-holy-10994116.php}}</ref>

Exact numbers on religious denominations in Albany are not readily available. Demographic statistics in the United States depend heavily on the [[United States Census Bureau]], which cannot ask about religious affiliation as part of its [[United States Census|decennial census]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Religion |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 22, 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/religion.htm |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090119172319/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/religion.htm |archive-date=January 19, 2009  }}</ref> It does compile some national and statewide religious statistics,<ref>{{cite web |title=The 2010 Statistical Abstract (Population: Religion) |publisher=United States Census Bureau |year=2010 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/population/religion.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225193720/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/population/religion.html |url-status=dead|archive-date=December 25, 2007  }}</ref> but these are not representative of a city the size of Albany. One report from 2000 offers religious affiliations for Albany County. According to the data, 59.2% of Albany County residents identified as Christian: 47% are [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholic]], 8.4% are [[mainline Protestant]]s, 2.7% are [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestants]], and 1.1% are [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern]] or [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental]] Orthodox Christians. Residents who practice Judaism make up 4.2% of the population and Muslims represent 0.2%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Albany County, New York Denominational Groups, 2000 |publisher=The Association of Religious Data Archives |year=2000 |url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/36001_2000_Theology.asp |access-date=June 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514140933/http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/36001_2000_Theology.asp |archive-date=May 14, 2011 }}</ref>