As Spirituality Rises, Many Young People Are Redefining and Rethinking Religion

They referred to specific practices when asked to give examples of spirituality – mindfulness, meditation, yoga, prayer, tarot card readings, viewing art – making it clear that, for many, spirituality is something one does, not only something one believes in.

Young people don’t think institutions play the same role in spirituality as they do with religion. Evelyn Stovin, who grew up in Federal Way, Washington explained, “religious Christians go to church often.” In contrast, someone who is spiritually Christian may “follow their faith in God and the Bible.” “They may still go to church,” she said, “but it is not as important as their individual faith.”

Most mentioned that you can customize spirituality and several said that they adopt practices from many traditions and communities. Zeennah Akorede, a 19-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, said her peers think spirituality allows more choice when compared to religion, and doesn’t feel like “something that requires too much of us.” She added, spirituality “is like choosing your own adventure.”

Spirituality Avoids Pitfalls of Religion

Most of the young people we spoke to thought their generation was more interested in spirituality than their parents. When asked why they thought that was the case, the most frequent answers were about how spirituality avoids some of religion’s pitfalls.

Several mentioned that they view religious institutions as corrupt and believe that spirituality avoids this sort of baggage (though this isn’t necessarily the case). Lesrene Browne, a 21-year-old from Paterson, New Jersey, whose parents are devout Seventh-day Adventists, told us that she thinks young people turn to spirituality because they have negative associations with religious institutions, but are “still invested in finding a higher truth.”

Most of the young people we spoke to thought spirituality was more compatible with their values than the religion of their parents. Blair Carpenter from Portland, Maine, told us religion “can be rooted in outdated, conservative values that no longer align with our more progressive vision of the future.”

Keanna Smigliani, a 25-year-old from Hudson, New Hampshire, shared that the reason she no longer attends services is because she doesn’t agree with the moral teachings of her parent’s Evangelical church. “My parents can look past those differences and enjoy the community and routine of church,” Keanna said. “That was not enough for me.” Mackenzie Fitzpatrick, a 27-year-old from Winston Salem, North Carolina, shared a similar reason for leaving her childhood church. She was raised Catholic but when she asked her priest why women couldn’t be ordained “he was unable to give me any answer that was not deeply rooted in sexism.” That is when she realized that she “couldn’t align with that belief system any longer.”

The issue turning young people away from religion more than any other is the anti-LGBTQ+ positions of some religious communities. A recent study by PRRI found that 60% of young adults who no longer identify with their childhood religion left because of negative teachings and treatment of gay and lesbian people. Stovin, who identifies as queer, says this is related to an increased interest in spirituality in their community. “More people who are raised Christian are becoming more spiritual because the faith may still be important to them, but the institution is hostile.”