Generational Change & the Rise of Religious “Nones”

Abstract

Earning the label “Nones”, people with no religious affiliation have dramatically increased in recent decades. Previous research suggests four possible contributing factors: changing beliefs, increasing value of autonomy, conflicting liberal attitudes, and changes in group identity. Evidence suggests that this is a generational change, but the ways it influences talk about religion is unknown. This research investigated these trends through semi‐structured qualitative interviews exploring people’s reasons for religious identification that quantitative research fails to explain. The lead author conducted 17 interviews, 5 socially distanced and 12 via video conferencing. Participants were split for analysis by two factors, age cohort and religious identity. Divided among age cohort there were 9 students and 8 older adults whereas among religious identity there were 12 religious and 5 nonreligious participants. Across generations autonomy was important to most participants choosing their religion and desiring that choice for others. Analysis also suggests major differences in how people define their beliefs and how people perceive religion interacting with today’s increasingly secular culture.