The Benefits of Formulaic Prayer

It's not news that the US is becoming more secular. People have been drifting away from religion for decades, and that trend is accelerating right now in people under 40. But there is a small but growing trend in those same generations of people who are seeking just the opposite. These people are looking to older and more orthodox forms of faith to find meaning, purpose, and community even in the face of what many might consider to be more sexist and less tolerant ideas.

Join Dave as he talks to two Millennials who have converted to more traditional forms of faith about the reasons for their choice, how it affects their lives, and why they believe these more ancient forms of religiosity have value… perhaps now more than ever.

Kelsey Osgood is a writer and convert to Modern Orthodox Judaism, currently working on a book about religious conversion among women, scheduled to be published in 2024. Find out more about her on her website.

Julia Yost was raised Catholic, but transitioned to a more traditional form of Catholicism as a young adult. She is a senior editor and regular contributing author at First Things magazine. She also authored this opinion piece about young converts in The New York Times.