2. How do Young Adults find religion?
These slides draw heavily on the article “How Young
Adults Are Finding Religion” by Sharon Greentha
(2020).
Although the case study is American, but the
experience is almost universal.
3. Global phenomenon
The decline in attendance at
houses of worship is across
the board- Jewish, Christian,
Muslim, Budhist…
In the U.S.:
only 30% of those born from
1990 to 1996 are absolutely
certain of their belief in God.
--- even more so 71% of the
'silent generation,' or those
born from 1928 to 1945
Millennials and most young adults
view the role of religion in their lives
differently
4. I. Reasons why most young people moving away
from Religion
1. Marriage/adulthood
The delaying of adulthood by millennials is one of
the biggest contributors to their moving away from
organized religions.
65% of the silent generation (1928 and 1945) were
married by the time they reached the age of 32.
Millennials only 26% are married by the age of 32
Marrying and having a family often bring religion back
into focus
5. 2. Young adults are
usually far more
multicultural than
their parents in
traditional religions
Most traditional religions are
homogeneous (Judaism- for
Jews, Muslims for Arabs,
Buddhism for most Asians)
In their eyes young adults
that it is more interesting
and stimulating. To meet
other people from other races
and places.
6. 3. Most young
adults have a 'do-
it-yourself' attitude
toward religion.
They reject the
idea of
obedience and
of being a good
kid
7. II. Can Young Adults be Spiritual?
Despite their less conventional ways of staying
connected to God, most young adults remain in touch
with their spiritual side in a meaningful way.
Young adults actually want more intimate and genuine
religious experiences
The top word used by millennials to describe their
ideal environment for worship is "community,"
followed closely by "sanctuary."
8. Millennials prefer a
larger congregation
over a smaller one
and would rather
attend services in
casual clothing versus
being more dressed
up.
Young adults want
their churches,
mosques, and
synagogues to reflect
who they are, rather
than having to fit
into what may be the
organization's
guidelines.
9. Spiritual…
Their faith may not be traditional, but many of their
concerns and questions certainly are spiritual.
According to Pew Research, 46% of young adults feel
"a deep sense of wonder" about life and the universe at
least once a week, compared to 48% of baby boomers,
putting both generations at equal levels of curiosity
about the world around them
10. Spiritual…
Millennials and young adults are also a grateful
generation.
Seventy-six percent of them feel a great sense of
gratitude on a regular basis, nearly even with their
boomer parents.
The meaning of life is also on their minds, with 55%
thinking about it at least once a week
11. Millennials and young adults may not attend church or
synagogue regularly or follow the traditional
guidelines and tenets of an organized religion as their
parents do. Still, they are finding spirituality in a way
that works in their lives and allows them the flexibility
to explore and learn from their friends and
acquaintances.
12. Young Africans
.It is estimated that tens of millions of the
population in various polls describe themselves as
irreligious in South Africa
20% of the Botswana population describes
themselves as non-religious.
Kenya – currently standing at 1.6% according to
the 2019 Kenyan population census
13. Africa- reasons for quitting religion
According to Kevin Muriithi (2020) most of them are
Africans educated in the West but in general the
demographics could be small.
African Atheism is growing because of the retrieval of
traditional African religions,” says Muriithi (2020).
Young Africans cannot be convinced of a “god” who is all
powerful and yet allowed this remarkable pain.
14. The suffering and hardship of people is product of
many factors including our location within the class
and economic system, it has nothing to do with our
relationship to God, nor of the state of our souls. Our
suffering could be was real, but our explanation of it
false.
17. End of religion? It’s a no for Berger.
In his later works, Berger (1999) abandoned his
original theory of secularization. Even though
contemporary society is increasingly modern —
globally linked, diverse, technologically sophisticated,
capitalist — it is as “furiously religious as it ever was,
and in some places more than ever” (1999). Berger
gives the example of the “Islamic upsurge” as an
“impressive revival of emphatically religious
commitments” (1999 ) and presents the worldwide
adoption of evangelicalism as “breathtaking in scope”
(1999). (See Introduction to Sociology: 1 st Canadian
Edition, 2014).
