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More black millennials are turning away from traditional religion to find their spirituality

March 11, 2020

Religion is known to form the foundation of the black community, especially in the South, which is known as the "Bible Belt." 

Here, church isn't just a place, it's a lifestyle. That's exactly how R.S. Cole grew up. 

"My aunt was a pastor, my grandmother was on the usher board," Cole said. "They had me in debutantes, things of that nature, but they kept me in a Christian faith."

A recent Pew study shows eight in 10 African Americans self-identify as Christians, but now, more and more younger African Americans say they're not affiliate with just...

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Is the rise of the nones slowing? Scholars say maybe

February 12, 2020

For the past 25 years, the number of Americans claiming no religion has steadily ballooned as more and more people quit church, synagogue or mosque and openly acknowledged being a  “none.”

The reality is particularly stark when looked at from a generational perspective. If 10% of people from the silent generation (born 1928-1945) consider themselves religiously unaffiliated, a whopping 40% of millennials (born 1981-1996) say they have no religion, according to ...

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Contemplating the growth of spiritual tourism at a peaceful, if sometimes odd, Santa Fe resort

January 21, 2020

Before flying to my Santa Fe, N.M., resort, I received a list of at least 20 activities available during my stay. Yoga Nidra. Zen Qi Flow. Sound Healing Journey. Meditation in Motion. Temazcal Sweat Lodge. Petroglyph Art Hike. Awakening the Elements Within. Chicken Chats.

I circled the boxes for hiking, chi gong, visual arts — and put a question mark next to chicken chats. I was laying the groundwork for my first foray into spiritual tourism, to explore what is one of the fast-growing segments of the travel industry — and maybe return more rested and centered.

...

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The age of nones may favor churches that welcome doubters

January 15, 2020

The media have paid a lot of attention to the rise of the religiously unaffiliated in recent years, and for good reason. In 1990, just 1 in 20 adult Americans were not connected to a religious faith. Today, it’s closer to 1 in 4. The ripples of such a shift are still being sorted out by observers of American religion.

One of the most visible effects is that the pews are much emptier today than they were just 30 years ago. What does that decline look like, in the simplest terms?

Source: ...

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At Gallaudet University, deaf culture and faith mix

January 3, 2020
When a student stood to read from the Bible during a Catholic service at Gallaudet University earlier this year, she conveyed the sacred words in a language the group would understand: American Sign Language. The psalm — often chanted or sung — was signed as well.
And when the priest addressed the worshippers, he signed: “The Lord be with you."
A flurry of hands signed back: “And with your spirit.”
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Can Religion Still Speak to Younger Americans?

November 14, 2019
The fastest-growing population on the American religious landscape today is “Nones”—people who don’t identify with any religion. Recent data from the American Family Survey indicates that their numbers increased from 16% in 2007 to 35% in 2018. Over the same period, there has been a dramatic decline in the share of the population who identify as Christian, from 78% of Americans in 2007 to 65% in 2018-19, according to a report by the Pew Research Center released this month. The rise of Nones is even more dramatic among younger people: 44% of Americans aged 18 to 29 are Nones. Source: ... Read more about Can Religion Still Speak to Younger Americans?

How religious groups are working to attract young New Yorkers

October 21, 2019
Once a month, a group of teens gathers at the home of Sutton Place Synagogue Rabbi Rachel Ain and her husband for a guest speaker series known as “Hebrew High at the Rabbis.” Past speakers at the gatherings have included a Lutheran minister who spoke about the importance of interfaith dialogue and a Wall Street Journal editor who talked about his Jewish faith and work. Ain and her husband, who is also a rabbi, co-lead conversations with attendees. The meetings are just one way the synagogue works to engage young congregants — an undertaking that can be challenging given students’ busy... Read more about How religious groups are working to attract young New Yorkers

Witch season provides a deep look into the millennial mindset

October 10, 2019

October is upon us, and with it the beginning of the pre-Halloween media season — for magic, the occult, witchcraft and, not least, the final season premiere of “American Horror Story,” TV’s homage to the slasher films of the 1980s. 

But the truth is we have been in an extended season for witches since at least the election of Donald Trump. The “witch aesthetic,” which features transgressive makeup and Goth-inflected fashion, is a counterculture look that says #resistance.

But...

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How millennials replaced religion with astrology and crystals - Los Angeles Times

July 11, 2019
“This is a worldwide, but certainly American, trend toward heterodoxy — toward individuals cooking up their own spiritual or religious stew and cooking it up their way,” Burklo said. “You’re seeing an aggregation of disaffiliation, people coming up with their own meaning-making and their own personal spiritualities.”

Source: How millennials replaced religion with astrology and crystals - Los Angeles Times