(DailyVantage.com) – The global health emergency which, both figuratively and literally, plagued the world since early 2020, may have come with a sort of silver lining. According to a new study conducted by Barna Group, 44% of Americans are reportedly “more open to God” as a result of the pandemic.
Additionally, 77% of recipients claim to believe in a higher power. These findings indicate that in the wake of the pandemic, there is a notable spiritual awakening happening in America.
Even Gen Z and millennials, who are often deemed to be members of secular generations, were reported to believe in a “supernatural/spiritual dimension” in substantial numbers.
The survey asked 2,000 American adults their views on religion between October 21 and 31, 2022. Barna Group CEO David Kinnaman described the results as representing a “spiritual hunger” among Americans, and added that the poll is a “cause for hope” for Christian leaders across the country.
While the survey found that Americans of all ages have become more open to religion after the pandemic, baby boomers, more than any other group, claimed to believe in a higher power.
The survey was published just a few weeks after another study which found that Americans have, on the whole, become less engaged in religious activities.
According to this rather despondent study, Catholics, Jews, and other groups attended their respective houses of worship less after the pandemic: “The number of Americans who became completely disconnected from a place of worship increased significantly over the past few years. Before the pandemic, 1 in 4 Americans reported that they never attended religious services. By spring 2022, that share increased to 33%.”
These two studies, though seemingly contradictory at first glance, present an interesting development: Americans are more open to God and spirituality, however they are less inclined to attend traditional places of worship like churches and synagogues. That is to say, a decline in organized religion may not necessarily mean a decline in religiosity.
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