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The Death of Religion?
A new book argues that rising numbers of Americans reporting no religious affiliation do not, by themselves, show that religion is disappearing. Sociologist Byron Johnson and historian Thomas Kidd say surveys can conflate formal membership with belief, and may therefore understate the continuing presence of faith.
Pew data put religiously unaffiliated adults at about 29%, up from 16% in 2007, with higher rates among younger people. The article acknowledges declines in some traditional institutions, including mainline churches, but notes that Americans have debated religious disaffiliation for centuries; people without a definite affiliation were once called “Nothingarians”.
In short
- The unaffiliated share of US adults has risen to about 29%.
- The book argues that affiliation and religious belief are not the same.
- Americans have worried about religious disaffiliation for centuries.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Rising unaffiliation is a substantial shift: the share of US adults reporting no religious affiliation has grown markedly, especially among younger people, while some traditional churches have lost members. Even if surveys do not capture every form of belief or spiritual practice, the trend may signal that organised religion is becoming less central in American life.
The case against
Unaffiliated does not necessarily mean unbelieving or indifferent to faith, so membership figures alone cannot establish that religion is disappearing. Religious disaffiliation has a long history in the United States, and people may retain beliefs or spiritual commitments outside formal institutions; the figures therefore show change in affiliation more clearly than the end of religion.