Religious Revival in America Overstated, New Study Finds

The narrative of a religious revival in America, particularly among young people, has been a topic of significant discussion as Christians around the world celebrate Christmas. However, new research findings from the Pew Research Center cast doubt on this widely circulated claim.

According to Pew’s data, American religious identification has remained remarkably stable rather than experiencing a resurgence. Approximately 70% of Americans continue to identify with a religion—a figure that has shown no significant change since 2020. This stability extends across multiple measures of religious engagement, including daily prayer practices, the self-reported importance of religion, and attendance at religious services.

What makes this stability notable is that it represents a pause in what had been decades of religious decline in America, though not the reversal that many have suggested is occurring. The data indicates a plateau rather than a rebound in religious participation.

The revival narrative has been especially focused on young adults, with claims that Generation Z and millennials are driving a religious renaissance. However, Pew researchers found no substantial evidence supporting a nationwide religious comeback among this demographic. In fact, their data shows that young Americans today are less religious than older generations and less religious than young people were a decade or two ago.

This finding directly contradicts research from the Barna Group, which has suggested that Gen Z and millennial Americans are now the most regular churchgoers, apparently overtaking older generations who have traditionally formed the backbone of religious attendance in America.

The Catholic Church presents a particularly nuanced case study in this religious landscape. A recent survey from Leadership Roundtable reveals that Catholics aged 18 to 29 demonstrate the highest levels of engagement with their church compared to older age groups. These young Catholics are more likely to attend Mass regularly, participate in confession, involve themselves in parish activities, and engage in practices such as Eucharistic adoration and church social events.

However, this high level of participation comes with a paradox—these same highly engaged young Catholics are also the most likely to consider leaving the church entirely. More than one-third of them report that the church’s positions conflict with their personal values. Others cite feelings of not belonging or express concerns about ongoing scandals within the Catholic Church.

The Leadership Roundtable report characterizes the commitment of young Catholics as “strong but fragile,” noting an interesting trust divide: these young practitioners tend to express high levels of trust in their local priests and parish communities while simultaneously showing significantly lower trust in bishops and national church leadership.

These conflicting research findings paint a complex picture of American religious life. Rather than a straightforward revival or decline, what emerges is a more nuanced reality where religious participation may be evolving in character rather than simply growing or shrinking.

The apparent contradictions in the data also highlight the challenges of measuring religious sentiment and practice in a rapidly changing cultural landscape. Different research methodologies, definitions of religious engagement, and sampling approaches may account for some of the discrepancies between studies.

As religious institutions navigate these complex dynamics, they face the challenge of addressing the concerns of younger members who may be simultaneously more engaged in religious practices yet more questioning of institutional positions and leadership than previous generations.