{"id":146955,"date":"2026-07-31T07:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=146955"},"modified":"2026-07-31T07:27:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:27:46","slug":"washington-post-ryan-burge-america-is-undergoing-a-vibes-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=146955","title":{"rendered":"(Washington Post) Ryan Burge–America is undergoing a vibes revival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The idea that the United States is becoming more religious has come to be widely accepted, particularly in\u00a0conservative media<\/a>. But the statistical measures of American religiosity don\u2019t actually point toward a significant uptick in religious belief and practice. Instead, a number of data points seem to support the notion that what the U.S. is experiencing is a vibes revival. The public\u2019s sense that religion is roaring back is completely disconnected from what\u2019s actually happening in America\u2019s pews….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April, Gallup released\u00a0new polling data<\/a>\u00a0about the religiosity of America\u2019s young adults. One finding dominated headlines: Among young men, the share who said that religion was very important in their lives was 28 percent in 2022-23 but rose to 42 percent in 2024-25. That\u2019s a 50 percent increase in two years. (Among young women, there was a modest decline, with the share saying that religion is very important in their lives falling from 32 percent to 29 percent.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the report\u2019s other findings received less attention, even as they undermined the conclusions being drawn from the most widely discussed finding. According to that Gallup survey, the share of young men who identified with any religious group in 2022-23 was 61 percent. In the most recent data, it was 63 percent. That shift is statistically insignificant. Data about monthly religious attendance shows a seven-point gain among young men, compared with a 14-point jump in religious importance \u2014 twice the size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When social scientists measure American religion, they often talk about it in three dimensions: behavior, belief and belonging. The most widely regarded datasets that track American religion do not point to a significant increase in the religiosity of young adults \u2014 in fact, it\u2019s just the opposite.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>

Don't make the mistake of equating a mere "vibes revival" with America becoming more religious. https:\/\/t.co\/NqKt0zxom4<\/a><\/p>— wyclif ⚓ (@wyclif) July 31, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>