February
28, 2002
National religious revival on its way,
according to pollster (and Episcopalian) Gallup
by Matthew Greco
EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE
The good news is that Americans are feeling more religious and spiritual.
The bad news is they’re not sure who gave the Sermon on the Mount.
This situation, and the coming religious revival that will arise out of it,
presents "remarkable challenges and opportunities" for faith communities,
said eminent pollster George Gallup Jr., speaking recently at the annual
symposium of the Henri Nouwen Society at a New York City church.
The revival will be led by three groups: African-Americans, those aged 50-64
and millennials, said Gallup, an Episcopalian, who offered his personal
thoughts and reflections based on his firm’s ongoing survey work on
religious and spiritual life in America.
Interest in religion and spirituality in America has not diminished--in
fact, just the opposite, Gallup said. In the last decade, the number of
Americans who believe in heaven and hell is up from 6 in 10 to 8 in 10.
Indeed, this concern about going from the seen to the unseen world presents
the church with an incredible challenge, said Gallup, speaking to an
interdenominational audience at Manhattan’s St. Ignatius Church. "It is a
moment to be seized by the faith community."
Part of the challenge is that people say they believe in God, but they’re
not sure what they believe. "Americans are hard pressed to say why they’re
Christians. They don’t know what they believe or why," he observed.
Americans have a high level of credulity and believe in everything from the
devil to haunted houses, extraterrestrials and witches. Many hold
traditional and non-traditional beliefs simultaneously as they create "a la
carte" homemade religions, Gallup said.
Some 54% of Americans say they’re religious, while 30% say they’re spiritual
and not religious. These percentages are about the same for teen-agers.
But what’s worrisome in Episcopal congregations is the neglect of youth
programs. "We’re very remiss at engaging youth," he said. As with other
mainline traditions, the Episcopal Church has been losing membership for the
last 30 years, a trend Gallup blamed on the lack of youth programs—and the
fact that Episcopalians "don’t believe" in evangelism.
Gallup noted that some people think that American religion is 3,000 miles
wide and three inches deep. "There’s much to that. Religion is not primary,
not at the center. Americans are stuck in between disbelief and the security
of knowing God."
All of this is not true of African-Americans, who are probably the most
religious people of any group in the world. "You’d be hard pressed to find
even one African American who doesn’t believe in a personal God," he said.
It is the power of that bedrock faith that will lead the coming spiritual
renewal, he said.
While there is a concern over the lack of depth in American religious
belief, contrary to expectations, church attendance stays high among those
with higher education, an anomaly of American society not true in other
countries.
Reflecting on the post-Sept. 11 religious climate, Gallup noted the
well-documented initial rush to churches and the tremendous increase in
Bible sales. However, three weeks later, church attendance was back down to
normal as well as what people said was the importance of religion in their
lives. Curiously, people continued to say that the impact on society of
religion is up enormously, a perception not matched by their own reality.
Still, Gallup said, "My guess is in the long run these experiences will
intensify the spiritual search going on now."
Matthew Greco is a journalist attending Union Seminary in New
York. |
February 28, 2002
Pollster asks: What needs to be done?
EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE
Religious education has an important role to play in developing Americans’
spirituality, according to pollster George Gallup. Most people have little
idea of their gifts and strengths, he said. "We need to find that."
People also need reminders that choices are best made with the counsel of
others in small groups where they can be held accountable, Gallup added
during comments at the annual symposium of the Henri Nouwen Society meeting
at a New York City church recently.
Indeed, the search for deeper spirituality is accompanied by a measurable,
widespread desire to come in contact with a small group or with one other
person in prayer, as well as a desire to move to the margins, to move
outside the comfort zone to help others, Gallup said. This is seen through
the popularity of mentoring programs. "This is an opportunity not to be
missed by the faith communities of America," he said.
Where are people finding community today? Four in 10 say they belong to
small groups, which provide them with nourishment and care. Some 60% of
those say the groups are related to the faith community.
People need to feel listened to, appreciated and respected, and they need
practical help in living their faith, Gallup said. "That’s why I’m so
enthusiastic with the Alpha program--80% of people stay with it, and most of
the other 20% come back to it."
The Alpha program is also very successful in prisons, another place from
which the religious renewal will emerge, Gallup said.
The Alpha program is basic Christianity 101. "It tells people who Jesus
Christ is. Most people don’t know. They don’t know what they believe," he
said.
Gallup noted that eight in 10 say they’re Christians, but only four in 10
can say who gave the Sermon on the Mount, Gallup noted. Most people say the
Ten Commandments are valid, but they can’t name them. |
