Religious revolution: More Americans finding faith outside church

A quiet revolution has been unfolding across the country. Over the past few decades, a growing number of people have stopped identifying with any organized religion. Just a generation ago, only about one in 20 Americans said they had no religious affiliation. Today, that number has soared to more than one in four.

This striking change isn't just about walking away from religion. It's about a deep and personal shift in how people relate to the sacred, the spiritual, and their own values. Many aren't rejecting belief or meaning. Instead, they're moving away from formal institutions that feel too rigid, too political, or too out of touch with the world they know.

New research led by Landon Schnabel, a sociology professor at Cornell University, reveals how young adults are reshaping the meaning of faith.

The study, published in Socius, draws from a decade-long data set known as the National Study of Youth and Religion. Researchers tracked more than 1,300 teens as they grew into adulthood between 2003 and 2013.

This period marked the rise of the so-called “nones,” people who claim no religious affiliation. But the data showed something more complex than simple rejection. While church attendance and affiliation dropped steeply, many individuals still believed in God. They still prayed, and a growing number took up meditation.

The study followed 1,348 individuals through four waves of surveys and 183 in-depth interviews. Over time, religious attendance declined faster than personal faith. For example, support for converting others to a religion fell by nearly 10%. Meanwhile, meditation—often seen as a more personal spiritual practice—increased by roughly the same amount.

So why are people leaving? It’s not just about politics or boredom. Interviews revealed something deeper: a conflict between what people value and what they see in religious institutions. Many said churches seemed more focused on money, power, or outdated rules than on love, compassion, or spiritual growth.

This search for something more meaningful has created what researchers call a "spiritual marketplace." Rather than choosing between traditional denominations, many are building their own belief systems. They draw from different sources—Christianity, Buddhism, nature-based practices, mindfulness, or personal rituals—blending them into something that feels real and honest.

This trend reflects a larger movement in society. People today place high value on personal growth, authenticity, and self-discovery. These ideas also influence how they view religion. If a religious group seems to limit individual expression or marginalize certain communities, it quickly loses trust and members.

Schnabel explains it this way: “People aren't leaving religious institutions passively or only because of partisan politics, but because of more deeply held values—about the sacredness of the individual, their concern for others, and feeling that their participation in an institution doesn't align with being the type of person they want to be.”

In other words, people are trying to be true to themselves—and that means finding new ways to connect with something greater than themselves.

Sociologist Max Weber once warned that modern life might trap people in an “iron cage” of rules, bureaucracy, and rational thinking. This cage, he believed, would drain life of meaning. Today’s young adults seem to be rejecting that fate. Many see organized religion as part of the cage: overly structured, too focused on doctrine, and increasingly politicized.

Instead of surrendering to this system, they’re breaking out. They’re searching for meaning on their own terms. This movement isn’t just about what they reject, but what they build in its place.

Some scholars call this shift a “spiritual turn.” Others refer to “believing without belonging.” But Schnabel and his team use another idea: individualization. This term describes how people are creating their own paths in life—including in matters of faith. It’s not just a personal change. It’s a sign of broader social transformation.

This rethinking of religion is not unlike the creative spiritual responses that have emerged in places with strong state control, like China. There, people develop new ways of practicing faith outside of official structures. In the U.S., it’s not the government limiting religion, but rather the institutions themselves, through rigidity and politicization.

It might be tempting to see this religious change as just another symptom of political division. After all, the largest declines in religious participation were seen among people with more liberal views, especially those who supported same-sex marriage or reproductive rights.

But the study also found drops among moderates and conservatives, showing the trend reaches across the political spectrum. Gender, race, class, and sexual orientation didn’t protect any group from this shift. The urge to find something more meaningful, more personal, and more authentic touches nearly everyone.

The internet has played a role too. With so many spiritual ideas just a few clicks away, people no longer need to rely on a single church or tradition. They can explore different paths, connect with others, and shape their beliefs through communities that live online.

This flexibility helps explain why personal spiritual practices have remained strong, or even grown. Meditation, for example, became more common even as traditional practices like proselytizing declined.

Rather than losing faith, many are simply rethinking what faith looks like. They’re not becoming cold rationalists, as some once feared. They’re not rejecting the idea of something sacred. In many ways, they’re re-enchanting the world—just not through a church.

This isn’t a temporary trend or a youth rebellion. It reflects a fundamental change in how people live, think, and relate to one another. As social norms shift toward personal freedom and authenticity, religion is changing along with them.

Schnabel’s study shows that the American religious landscape is not becoming empty. It’s becoming personalized. And in that shift, people are finding new ways to stay connected—to the sacred, to each other, and to what matters most.

Note: The article above provided above by The Brighter Side of News.

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