Religious book sales show a miraculous rise

According to the American Association of Publishers, last year saw a 50 percent rise in the sale of religion books over the previous year.

Even though some industry analysts doubt about the increase reported by AAP say that a few phenomenally popular titles can change the landscape of the entire category.

Lynn Garrett, religion editor at Publishers Weekly, points to one example: Rick Warren's "The Purpose-Driven Life," which has sold 16 million copies and inspired a host of related titles since it was published in 2002.

Ms. Garrett say,"religion is just so much a part of the cultural conversation these days because of global terrorism and radical Islam. People want to understand those things. They're looking to go more deeply into the religious traditions."

Also in TV industry, over the past 10 years, coverage of religious issues has been rising, according to a study conducted by the Media Research Center. The major networks broadcast 303 stories on religion in the year ending March 1, compared with 121 in the same period last year.