(TNND) — The makeup of Congress continues to be overwhelmingly Christian.

The Pew Research Center published a breakdown of religious affiliations for the members of the new Congress, which convened Friday.

There will be 461 Christian members of Congress, which accounts for about 87% of our representatives and senators.

That’s down from 92% a decade ago, but the share of Christians in Congress still far exceeds the share of Christians in the general public (62%), according to the Pew Research Center.

Fifty-six percent of Congress members are Protestants, led by 14% who are Baptists.

One-hundred and fifty Congress members, or 28%, are Catholic.

Congress has 32 Jewish members, according to the Pew Research Center.

There are nine Mormons, six Orthodox Christians, three Buddhists, four Muslims, four Hindus, and three members who the Pew Research Center said were unaffiliated.

Nearly all Republican lawmakers, 98%, identify as Christian.

A smaller but substantial majority of Democrats, 75%, also identify as Christian.

Oklahoma State University politics professor Seth McKee said the party split reflects a “longer sorting of the electorate.”

The “religious right” movement rose to prominence in the 1970s and ’80s, following the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision and during the Ronald Reagan presidency, McKee said.

“And so, that coalitional change really infused the Republican Party with that brand that you had to be a Christian essentially in so many parts of that base, and especially in the South, of course, where you're talking about an overwhelmingly Protestant, religiously conservative community,” he said.

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If 87% of Congress identifies as Christian, compared to 62% of the U.S. adult population, are our lawmakers more religious than the country as a whole?

McKee said that’s probably true in some respects.

But he said there could be electoral reasons, as well.

And the electoral reasons are more important for Republicans, McKee said.

“I don't think Democrats have to really carry a religious label like Republicans do,” he said. “They don't really have to put on airs if in fact they're not religious.”

Voter surveys conducted during the presidential election by The Associated Press found that 61% of Protestants voted for Donald Trump, as did 55% of Catholics and 62% of what the AP categorized as “other Christian” voters.

Two-thirds of Jewish voters, along with a majority of Muslims and most nonreligious people, voted for Kamala Harris, according to AP VoteCast.

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Lindsey Swindle, the director of Government and Policy Affairs at Christian Care Ministry, works directly with legislators on the national level and more regularly on the state level.

She also oversees a project that encourages elected officials through prayer.

She said the 87% share of Christians in Congress is “a strong representation” of her faith.

And she doesn’t think most lawmakers are playing politics with their statements of faith.

“I can only speak from my perspective and those that I have interacted with. And when you speak with those lawmakers who are bold enough to share their faith and talk about it, I think it is something that is deeply held,” Swindle said.

Christianity is a moral compass for a lot of lawmakers, she said.

And regardless of how often the lawmakers go to church – she notes they spend a lot of time away from their communities, their home churches – she believes members of Congress are generally sincere in their faith.

“When I asked them, ‘How can we pray for you?’ And they're asking for that. They're saying, ‘You know, we consistently want to make sure that we're making these decisions on behalf of our communities ... but also aligned with our faith,’” she said.