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I’m reading this book (still underway), and it’s got some interesting points I thought I would share about how American religion changes. In particular, I thought it was interesting that it described how change happens over time in three buckets: Period changes– This is change that affects people of all ages when it happens. For example, to some extent the technology and internet boom (and the industrial revolution) were this type of change, although if the change only impacts the youngest generation, it is not a period change. Pace: This is the fastest change, notable over a period of a few years.Generational– This is the societal change that comes as one generation and its values and experiences die out and others become more dominant. Pace: This is the second fastest change, notable over a few decades for large changes and over many decades for minor changes. Life cycle– This is the change people experience at an individual level, as they go through their own life cycle. In general, people become more religiously observant the older they get, but it comes in two key turning points: when they have children, and when they begin to age in the final cycle of life. Sometimes due to health, there is a downturn at the end of life. One question that has to be raised is whether a change is generational (Millenials’ values are x) or life cycle (Millenials’ behavior is because they are currently young / entering adulthood in the cycle of life). Pace: This doesn’t produce social change at all, just individual. Anyway, the book goes on to talk about specific changes in the last century, things like:
WW2 / 1950s.This was a big generational change as people became more religious. Returning vets were the reason for the change because they settled down, used the GI bill to get an education, and saw religion and joining the establishment as a way to be viewed as legitimate, authoritative and successful. This was the most religious time in America because for the first time ever, white males were attending church in similar numbers to women and African Americans. Religion was also viewed as a patriotic duty to counter atheism and communism. 1960s / 1970s.This was another big generational change as the Boomers (those born in the wake of WW2) questioned the morals of the previous generation and pushed against the establishment. However, like prior generations, as they aged, they too became more religiously observant, but never again did we see the levels of the WW2 generation. 1980s. This generation saw the rise of the Religious Right, or as some might say “prudes” reacting to “libertines.” This movement was another generational shift, but for the first time, politics were directly aligned with religion. This began a cycle of polarization that turned off young people and those who self-identify as liberals and the gap has continued to widen ever since. 1990s-2000s. During these years, non-conservatives left religion in unprecedented numbers, turned off by the conflation of political conservativism with religion. In the 1950s on through the 1970s, religious people were equally of both prevailing political parties in the US. After the 1980s, this began to shift dramatically until the present day. 2000s to the present. Millenial values are misaligned with religion’s conservative bent, and many are choosing to leave religion altogether. There is still some question about whether young people just entering adulthood now are simply acting based on their cycle of life (bearing in mind that marriage and children now come later than in previous generations, so that may delay the normal upward cycle in religiosity. I found the overview of these trends to be pretty informative. My parents fit the WW2 “silent generation” to a tee: both survived the depression, my dad was in WW2 and got his education on the GI bill, they were both more religious than their parents had been (both are LDS converts). I have older sister who came to adulthood in the 1960s who are Boomers. I can see that as they got older, they got more religious (mostly). I graduated high school in the 1980s, and I found the Religious Right to go too far for my taste. I find it a huge turn off (although I’m an Independent politically) when politics are brought in to church. I consider myself neither a prude nor a libertine, but perhaps I’m a person who acts like a prude but doesn’t need to reform the libertines. My son is a Millenial, a vegan, and a Democrat. He follows these norms also.
As to the types of change, I think the internet is a period change for every generation, the ready access to information, not all of which is equally reliable. Generational shifts continue to be an issue, though. Every successive generation has entered adulthood with a lower level of religious observance, and yet the US is still much much higher than Europe. According to the trends, it will be a century or longer before the US would reach Europe levels of secularization.
What do the rest of you think of this information? What types of changes do you see in your lifetime?
Great overview. This book is on my list. I just haven’t gotten there yet. Before I answer your final question I wanted to add a thought. You mentioned WWII, I haven’t read the book so maybe they covered this but my son is studying American History and his text book explained that Eisenhower was a deeply religious man and his piety greatly influenced America’s return to religion following the war. We both found that insightful. At the same time I am reading the “The Nazi Officer’s Wife.” In it she mentions that all the churchs, not just Jewish synagogues, no longer practiced their religion. Everyone practiced Nazism or Hitlerism. Shrines to Hitler filled homes, churches, schools. I don’t know if this added to Eisenhowers convictions, but it might have. My final thought on the increase of worship after WWII might be the hope that there would never be a WWIII. WWI vets were under the idea that they had fought the only world war, then WWII came along, now they were sending the children, they assumed they protected. Did church attendance inspire their hope that if they turned to God maybe the world wouldn’t collapse again. I really do think we get farther from church attendance and religious practice when life is going good. 9/11 drove that one home to me. It didn’t last forever but the week/months following the attacks people participated more in church or took more time to pray, be religious, etc. I saw similar experiences when the cruise ship went down in Italy. At first people were at the docks waiting for news, as the days moved on and less bodies were being recovered, a reporter on CNN said people were filling the churches day and night, praying, weeping, lighting candles.
I can’t guess what will happen in my lifetime. I used to try. Now I don’t. I wouldn’t be surprised though if religious attendance continued to drop. I think it’s such a vague thing – faith, religion, etc. We and those that follow us want concrete. Without concrete and assured we will likely leave church behind.
I have thought about this since the mid 90s. Although independent investigation reveals to me there is more to the story then that, the basic analysis research is showing now is correct. Although only part of the picture that is emerging. My grandparents strong influenced by ww2. Parents by Vietnam and the 60s era. It’s acted in strong opposition to times as I do to in certain ways. The far right religious movement in the 80s that I was raised under in both family and community had me thinking that’s what I was. Only to discover later as I got older and older because of past and present experience, history, personal investigation into politics, orgs and business , democracy put me probably squarely into libertarian socialism. At least in ideology and philosophy as the end goal of progress for a civilization.
Equality is the core belief among 1/2 the generation X(me) and most if Generation Y that I talk to and look at broader study’s. I think it squares both with the trend in religion going to and away from defending on background in the last 3 generations X,Y,O. I am a I independent, which was unusual for my area and generation at the time. But I find it common now. More people tired of pledging their allegiance to one system or another after getting burnt on any side and finding largely the same thing. Coming to the conclusion that the only real differences are the ones illusion on the outside but inside is largely the same.
This seems to play into traditional religion well, as the view plays out that it’s largely the same with some key differences trumpeted as major but find for themselves that it’s mostly minor in comparison to what they feel is important.
Generations Y that I talk to seem to view both democrats and republicans differences as largely superficial and 97% the same. The same way the are interacting with major traditional religions.
The issues that they value by contrast aren’t even brought up that much if at all by either. Viewing America as a 1 party system and orthodox religions in the same context.
I book seems to highlight some of that. But the internet plays a for crucial role then information. Generation X,Y, believe very strongly in a free all access to information. That it should not be charged for or hidden. And any party doing one or both of these is viewed very negatively. Hence the major distrust that takes decades to get back assuming the party stops doing one or both of those.
The other 2nd major shift is an equality(true equality) not what they believe is the superficial equality touted today.
It reflects politics and religion and work beliefs. This the problem that HR and PR departments are having.
The other that I can articulate is the binding of world cultural beliefs, history and differences on a massive scale. Made possible post 1950 by works market trade and airplane travel. But that only reflected a small % of the population experience.
The internet made that possible to communicate cross countries and exchange and experiences ideas and history from tiger nations point if view readily for most of the population and at lightning speed. Hence why China and others blocked access to socage media and other parts of the internet where people could get other points of view of current and past events.
Most of my friends in those countries go threw extremes just to hack and get around the government protocols so they have ready access to free and uncontrolled information. Yes the internet can have bad or misleading information, but the highest distrust in x,y and o is government and business. Followed by religion, then by major media.
I’ll try to find the studies, it has been some months/years since I studied them.
It does appear to be intertwined, as a general default position rather then uniquely aimed at religion.
Especially in response to the NSA debacle, huge mistrust, along with a huge drop I
Trust for all elite or special interest. Which plays into major religions as well, especially because if past and current history.
Today’s debacles feeding off of mistrust among the ruling or Special interest.
As I understand it, Eisenhower did not particularly adhere to any denomination. There are a few things missing from that list – African American influence spreading far beyond that community, Pentecostalism, Asian influences coming through in the fifities, New Age commercialism, appropriation of native American traditions, the arrival of flood of NRMs in postwar period such as Moonies, Scientology, TM, ISKCON etc.
I must laugh however, when Americans talk of the 40s, 50s, 60s as the distant past – they’re not. They’re recent.
SamBee wrote:As I understand it, Eisenhower did not particularly adhere to any denomination.
There are a few things missing from that list – African American influence spreading far beyond that community, Pentecostalism, Asian influences coming through in the fifities, New Age commercialism, appropriation of native American traditions, the arrival of flood of NRMs in postwar period such as Moonies, Scientology, TM, ISKCON etc.
I must laugh however, when Americans talk of the 40s, 50s, 60s as the distant past – they’re not. They’re recent.
Depends where you are from. In Los Angeles, 10 years ago is a lifetime. Culture change happens fluidly and rapidly. Much less then 1950s which is eons ago. A person and community may change and reinvent themselves several times since the 1950s. Which is a several iterations of culture and personal identity removed from the present. For other oracles like the east coast in USA the change happens slowly if at all lol. By the time you notice movement or trends you may have reinvented yourself several times by the time the area moves a notch.
But it’s not a lifetime – most of the people who are around in LA would have been alive back then and can probably remember quite a bit of it. Living in the Eternal Present is not necessarily a good thing. Not better than being stuck in the past anyway.
Maybe this is the problem – we look at religion in terms of age, without realizing some of the old stuff is still relevant, and some of the new is temporary.
(Off topic: I think this is a problem with American foreign policy BTW – people in Middle East have a long memory.)
Strikes me as very accurate. I was part of the prude/political right movement in the 80’s when I joined the church. Canada, a country where i lived for many decades typifies the reaction to the moral right which has essentially shucked religion. Don’t know much about bets and pre-1970 era however.
Now, the internet has totally changed the way I see religion right now. I think it’s a huge period change as it touches the lives of most people.
SilentDawning wrote:Strikes me as very accurate. I was part of the prude/political right movement in the 80’s when I joined the church. Canada, a country where i lived for many decades typifies the reaction to the moral right which has essentially shucked religion.
Don’t know much about bets and pre-1970 era however.
Now, the internet has totally changed the way I see religion right now. I think it’s a huge period change as it touches the lives of most people.
Ya SD. It has less to do with church or church history and more to do with free and ready access to information that Generation Y and x feel strongly about. As well as social circles that form new tribes across previously unreachable barriers.
Sam, the USA is vastly different them Europe by religious comparison. It’s huge. So huge in fact that well studied analysis and research done has said based on the last 100 year timeline it will take another 200 years to reach the level of secular that Europe is at now. That’s 200 years abundant Europe and 53% of Americans that don’t belief in evolution vs the much lower rate in Europe as well as about 80ish % belief in god vs much lower in Europe.
But it’s a huge period change, with people forming groups(like here) no longer going to traditional palaces where they might have faked to fit in before because that’s all there was locally.
The period and generational change compliment and amplify each other very much along aligning with their beliefs.
Generation x set the stage for y.
Trust is a huge generational and period change both. Long studied research shows a huge leap in trust in social institutions(government, media, universities, religion) after ww2. Then it shows a big slide in mid 60s after Vietnam from which it never recovered. Today the researched trust in social institutions in USA is less then half of the Vietnam 60s era. Showing that trust away from social institutions in the USA is eroding steadily past generational into period change.
That’s huge, it shows it isn’t unique to religion(lack of trust) and in general toward all social institutions over a 50 year period that decreased by 70ish % since 1950s. Recent foreign policy and the constant and empirical government (especially domestic) spying have eroded It Further then that recently. Trust is at in a time low. Forcing some to place their faith in religion, but a majority or slowly walking away from trusting any social institution in the USA. Looking at the broader context, it would be unwise to think that it’s a religious problem only. Too many bridges have been burnt in the past 50 years and people are highly reluctant to trust again(historically it takes many times longer to reestablish public trust then it took to gain it in the first place). Period change, huge because the trust over 50 years goes from attitude toward social institutions to a belief in being un-trustable. Shaking belief (period change) of this untrustworthy ness is and will be a great barrier. Also the studies show that the older generation baby boomers and before have more trust then the younger in social institutions. It seems to go linearly with age into the the generation that experienced ww2. Ww2 generation that is still alive is the most trusting in social institutions. In the east coast of USA there are churches practically ever block sometimes 2 or 3 on a block. The west coast there is a few per city.
P.S. I forgot to say the trust tracking in social institutions for religion is connected to organized religions, it doesn’t seem to have much of a impact on unorganized religion or unorganized social institutions.
Neither the USA nor Europe are good models, IMHO. (And Europe is much more varied than the USA in these terms – even within the Netherlands, a small country, the range of religious attitudes is extremely wide. From total permissiveness, in its extreme and blind-eye form (we’re talking bestiality etc here), to Christian fundamentalism and Sabbatarianism.) What’s happened in Europe in recent times is quite ugly – there is an unpleasant anti-religious tendency. I blame folk like Richard Dawkins for creating a secular arm to bigotry (although of course, in Eastern Europe and elsewhere Communism got there first), and Islamic extremists for creating a backlash.
It must be remembered also that belief in evolutionary theory (until recently) does not equal non-religiosity. Both of my parents accepted evolution, as did all the people that they went to church with. That’s what Richard Dawkins wants you to think, but as an Englishman, he should know better.
America is too polarized IMHO. Also its political left is ineffectual, and naive in some respects. The religious left is a long tradition in the USA. But why don’t we hear more?
What is my thought on current (dare I say “latter day”?) religion? I think a lot of it’s very, very shallow. I don’t mind “pick ‘n’ mix or “Buffet religion”, as long as people look at what’s on their fork. It seems to reflect a generation raised by television, with little attention span, constantly jumping around without ever taking a serious hard look at anything. Also, people are only going for what they like. I think religion has to involve some sacrifice, it’s not all your own way. Health is the same. The easiest food is not the best or most fulfilling food.hawkgrrrl wrote:According to the trends, it will be a century or longer before the US would reach Europe levels of secularization.
I’m curious. How long did Europe take to reach their current level of secularization, when did the process start for them? The reason I ask is because I wonder if Europe’s example, globalization, and the information age might speed up the phenomenon in the US.
It’s always a slower process for the first group. Perhaps it took Europe a millennia or more to get where they’re at and an accelerated process
istaken into account on that century or longer estimate? Well, I still haven’t finished the book, but the author was pointing out that the US has a much slower pattern of secularization. While each generation starts adulthood at a *slightly* lower level of religiosity, there is often a resurgence in religiosity among Americans in their 40s that isn’t matched in Europe, so the secularization rate is lower. I am almost finished with this book and thought I would bump this post back up. I bought the book based on this post. It’s been a worthwhile read. Quote:“How long did Europe take to reach their current level of secularization, when did the process start for them?”
That’s an interesting question – I don’t have my Kindle with me right at the moment, but one thought I had is that if you were Christian in the last 2000 years, it’s more likely that you were Christian with the understanding that kings were divinely appointed and more or less infallible (sound familiar?). Church attendance was mandatory just like not committing treason was mandatory. You would be fined if you didn’t attend, and much worse could happen. Shakespeare, who many think was probably an agnostic humanist, was required to attend church in his day. Anyway, I tend to think secularization was always there because the divine was intermingled with politics. In the US, the strange thing is that we didn’t believe in the divine rights of kings, on the contrary, undermining that was the basis of our government, and Americans have turned out to be far more religious than Europeans. Now, some of that is undoubtedly because some of their more extreme religionists fled to the Americas to form Puritan colonies. But I suspect that’s not all there is to that story.
hawkgrrrl wrote:Well, I still haven’t finished the book, but the author was pointing out that the US has a much slower pattern of secularization. While each generation starts adulthood at a *slightly* lower level of religiosity, there is often a resurgence in religiosity among Americans in their 40s that isn’t matched in Europe, so the secularization rate is lower.
Isn’t the USA, far more regionalized than many smaller countries? It’s not exactly a short trip from, say Hawaii, to Alaska, even from either Washington to Texas. I get this impression with rock music culture… despite the internet, things take longer to become national in the States due to the sheer size of the place.
I’d also point out that the USA was full of intentional religious communities from its foundation, whereas in Europe, governments weren’t as kind to them, so there aren’t so many of them. There isn’t a European equivalent of the Bible Belt, although there are a few villages which are strongly religious in remote parts of Scotland and Ireland. Europe has Lourdes, the USA’s got an entire state founded on a religious basis. The USA has San Francisco with its Hippie movement… the nearest European equivalent is Amsterdam, and that’s different.
SamBee wrote:There isn’t a European equivalent of the Bible Belt, although there are a few villages which are strongly religious.
There is a spot on the shin of the boot of Italy called “Rome” that is a bit heavy on the bible.
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