James J. Hughes Ph.D. Director, Institutional Research and Planning Public Policy Studies, Trinity...
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Transcript of James J. Hughes Ph.D. Director, Institutional Research and Planning Public Policy Studies, Trinity...
James J. Hughes Ph.D.
Director, Institutional Research and Planning
Public Policy Studies, Trinity College, Hartford CT
• Is everyone in the population moving in a secular direction over time?
• Are there distinct differences in religiosity by generation, shaped by distinct experiences?
• Are people more secular when they are young and more religious when older?
“Secular Trends,” Generations, & Life Stage
Our current class is the tail end of Millennials, the children of the Boomers
Next up: Generation Z (New Silent), children of Gen X
Who are the Millennials?
Millennial Ascendence
• Religious affiliation
• Intensity of religiosity
• Importance of religion
• Attendance at services
• Prayer, meditation
• Beliefs (in God, etc.)
• Spiritual v. religious
What is Religiosity?
• Most of the decline however is a drift from white Protestant and Catholic churches to disaffiliation
Most Millennials Still Christians
• Nones and Non-Abrahamic religions have grown slowly since the 1970s
Most Trinity Students Still Christians
• Trinity students are distinctly more religious, in particular more Christian, than students at peer liberal arts colleges
• Trinity students’ religiosity more closely resembles that of elite universities and Ivies
Most Trinity FYs are Christians
Fall 2014: Which do you practice or identify with?
TrinityLib Arts
CollsRoman Catholic 31% 14%
Protestant 13% 10%Baptist 0.6% 0.7%Church of Christ 0.6% 0.1%Episcopalian 2.5% 0.7%Lutheran 1.0% 0.9%Methodist 0.4% 0.9%Presbyterian 3.3% 1.3%Seventh Day Adventist 0.0% 0.0%UCC/Congregational 1.2% 0.3%Non- or inter-denominational 1.5% 1.1%Other denomination 0.8% 0.7%
Other Christian (Orth, LDS, etc.) 11% 7%
Hindu 1.9% 1.2%Jewish 4.5% 11.5%Muslim 2.6% 1.0%Buddhist 1.0% 2.2%Some other relig/spiritual tradition 0.3% 1.3%
Spiritual 4% 7%
Atheist 4% 13%None 23% 28%Other 3% 4%
• Millennials are less affiliated than previous generations at their age
• On the other hand, three quarters still profess a religious affiliation
Declining Religious Affiliation
• But Millennials more so
All Age Groups Disaffiliating
Disaffiliation most common among:
•Liberals
•West and New England
•Men
•Unmarried
•White
•College-educated/affluent
Affluent New England Disaffilation
• Millennials also far more likely to be politically independent (albeit more liberal)
• Less likely to get married as young adults
Decline in All Organizational Affiliations
• A fifth of Millennials profess weekly attendance compared to more than half of seniors (65+)
• This will likely increase somewhat with marriage and child-bearing
Declining Attendance
• Sometimes
Most Unaffiliated Still Attend
• The decline is generational
• Increases somewhat over the life course
Declining (or Increasing?) Intensity
• Generational decline in importance of religion
• But increases across life course
Likewise with Importance
• Majority are Christian, but “spiritually” not “religiously”
Spiritual, Not Religious
ARIS 2013: College students identified their worldview as
•32% Religious
•32% Spiritual
•28% Secular
Religious, Spiritual, Nones
• Millennials pray and meditate less
• But prayer and “meditation” increase over the life course
Decline (and Increase) in Prayer
God exists – I have no doubts
Gen. Decline in Belief in God
• However a majority are still certain about God
Bible is the literal word of God
Decline in Biblical Literalism
One True Way?: Nearly three-quarters of affiliated young adults (74%) say there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their faith, compared with 67% of affiliated adults ages 30 and older.
Rising Ecumenism
• On other beliefs there are few differences between the generations
• Adults under 30, for instance, are just as likely as older adults to believe in
• life after death (75% vs. 74%)
• heaven (74% each)
• hell (62% vs. 59%)
• miracles (78% vs. 79%).
No Decline in Supernaturalism
More Politically Liberal, Less Ideological
• Unaffiliated see Christianity as to moralistic, political and anti-gay
Liberalism Drives Disaffiliation
Although on elite campuses they are “middle of the road” rather than conservative
Christian Students Least Liberal
LiberalismAtheist 4.0 "Liberal"Other relig/spiritual/phil 3.9Spiritual 3.8Hindu 3.6Jewish 3.6None 3.6Other 3.6Buddhist 3.5Muslim 3.5Protestant 3.2Other Christian (Orth, LDS, etc.) 3.2Roman Catholic 3.0 "Moderate"
From the Fall 2014 COFHE FY Student Survey
• Among Millennials religious progressives outnumber conservatives
Decline of Religious Conservatives
• Slight evidence for secularization
• But mostly seniors still profess same religious preferences
Change at Trinity
Summer 2013Former
ReligionCurrent Religion
Spiritual 3% 7%Agnostic 3% 6%Atheist 2% 5%Jewish 5% 7%Muslim 1% 2%Buddhist 2% 3%