CCP141: On the Largest, Most Recent Survey of American Religion
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Mar 7, 2025
A recent survey reveals intriguing trends in American religion. While the number of people identifying as Christian has significantly dropped, the population of the religiously unaffiliated seems to have stabilized. Youth engagement is also declining, leading to concerns about the future of faith. The conversation emphasizes the need for churches to focus on evangelism and adaptation in their missions. Additionally, the findings suggest that a combination of personal testimonies with data could reshape the understanding of spiritual health in communities.
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Key Findings of Pew Study
Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study is a significant survey of American religion.
It reveals that the rise of the "nones" (religiously unaffiliated) has plateaued, and the decline of Christians has temporarily stopped.
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The Larger Story
While the decline of Christians has seemingly stopped, the overall drop is still significant.
Since 2007, there's been a 16% decrease in Christian identification, and "nones" have doubled.
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Stabilization of "Nones"
James Emery White wasn't surprised by the stabilization of the "nones".
He claims that almost everyone eligible to become a "none" already has, and the pool is limited.
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In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the recent release of Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study. Last conducted in 2014, the 2023-24 study surveyed more than 35,000 Americans concerning their religious affiliations, their beliefs, and their practices. It is simply the largest and most significant study of its kind in terms of getting a snapshot of where our country is on all things spirituality and religion, and the current health of the American Church. The findings go far beyond what some of the headlines from this study would suggest.
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Dr. White released a recent blog on this topic titled “The Stall of the Nones” - the “nones” being the group who identifies as having no religious affiliation. Their numbers have been rising for decades, yet seem to have reached a leveling-off point. (We'd encourage you to check out his book on this subject that was discussed in today's episode titled The Rise of the Nones.) Dr. White mentioned a recent New York Times article titled “Christianity's Decline in U.S. Appears to Have Halted, Major Study Shows” which latches onto that finding from the study. The more notable takeaway from the study that seems to have been overlooked is the fact that the number of people who would identify as Christian continues to decline - from 78% in 2007 to 62% in 2024. That decline is stunning.
As Dr. White noted from the Christianity Today article titled “Pew: America Is Spiritual but Not Religious,” six people have left Christianity for every one who has joined. That is certainly not sustainable. Dr. White stressed the importance of reaching the younger generations for Jesus, and the fact that a solid children's ministry is a vitally important component. He wrote a blog on this topic titled “The Most Important Sub-Ministry In Your Church” that would be worth reading if you missed it.
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