More than 2 in 5 Americans say they’ve become more spiritual over their lives, but only around 1 in 4 say they’re now more religious.
By Aaron Earls
Being spiritual and being religious are two different things according to many Americans. And between the two, they prefer being spiritual.
A recent Pew Research study found half of U.S. adults (48%) say they are both religious and spiritual. Around a third choose one over the other, including 22% who say they are spiritual but not religious and 10% who are religious but not spiritual. One in 5 Americans (21%) say they are neither.
When asked about any movement over their lifetime, Americans are more likely to say they’ve become more spiritual than anything else.
Half of U.S. adults (48%) say they are both religious and spiritual, 22% say they are spiritual but not religious, 10% are religious but not spiritual, and 21% say they are neither, according to Pew Research. Share on XSpiritual growth
In reference to spirituality, 41% of U.S. adults say they have become more spiritual over the course of their lifetime, while 13% say they have grown less spiritual. Another 23% have done some of both, sometimes growing more spiritual and sometimes becoming less. Additionally, 22% say they’ve stayed about the same spiritually.
Evangelical Protestants (55%) and Black Protestants (53%) are the groups most likely to say they’ve become more spiritual during their lives. Mainline Protestants (38%), Catholics (37%), and Jews (32%) are less likely. The religiously unaffiliated (28%) are the least likely to report becoming more spiritual. But even some religiously unaffiliated say they have become more spiritual in their lives—35% of those who say they are nothing in particular, 22% of agnostics, and 9% of atheists.
Even some religiously unaffiliated say they have become more spiritual in their lives—35% of those who say they are nothing in particular, 22% of agnostics, and 9% of atheists. Share on XOlder Americans are more likely to report becoming more spiritual. Those 50 to 64 (47%) and those 65 and older (45%) are more likely than those 30 to 49 (39%) and those 18 to 29 (30%).
Religious decline
Thinking about religion, U.S. adults are most likely to say they’ve become less religious (33%). Around a quarter (24%) have grown more religious, 21% say they’ve done some of both, and 21% have stayed about the same.
Again, evangelical (47%) and Black Protestants (38%) are more likely than other religious groups to say they’ve become more religious during their lives. Catholics (25%), mainline Protestants (24%), and Jews (13%) are less likely. Few religiously unaffiliated (4%) report becoming more religious, including 6% of those who say they are nothing in particular, 2% of agnostics, and less than 1% of atheists.
Concerning age, the older a person is, the more likely they are to say they have become more religious over their lifetimes, and the younger a person is, the more likely they are to say they have become less religious. A third of those 65 and older (33%) say they’ve become more religious, while 29% of those 50 to 64, 20% of 30- to 49-year-olds, and 15% of those 18 to 29 report the same.
The older a person is, the more likely they are to say they have become more religious over their lifetimes, and the younger a person is, the more likely they are to say they have become less religious. Share on XInversely, 42% of 18- to 29-year-olds and 38% of those 30 to 49 say they’ve become less religious during their lives, while 29% of 50- to 64-year-olds and 24% of those 65 and older say the same.
Ministry implications
Pew Research did not define the concepts of “spiritual” or “religious” for respondents. Because individuals supplied their own ideas for those terms, church leaders should recognize some initial attraction to the idea of spirituality but some hesitation toward organized religion.
When asked about some potential aspects of what it means to be spiritual, 74% say it is essential to be connected with something bigger than themselves, and 70% say specifically that it is essential to be connected with God. So, it’s clear that, for many Americans, “spirituality” involves at least some religious aspects.
But Americans in general are less drawn to institutions and less trusting of the individual professions representing those institutions, including churches and pastors. Forms of outreach should consider these attitudes, while the work of discipleship should aim to educate churchgoers on what it means to follow Jesus regardless of how they define spirituality or religiosity.
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