A new national survey describing the ongoing ideological and spiritual drift among Americans shows consistent churchgoers are abandoning traditional biblical beliefs and conservative social perspectives — reflecting a widening gap between Christian identity and biblical conviction.
The findings come from a nationwide study of 1,000 regular churchgoers, commissioned by Family Research Council and conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University under the direction of veteran researcher George Barna.
A shifting political, spiritual center
The survey reveals that only a small plurality of regularly churched adults (34%) now consider themselves either conservative on fiscal and social issues, while nearly as many describe themselves as moderate (29%) or liberal/progressive (19%). Ten percent determine their views issue by issue, and 8% are unsure where they fall ideologically.
Compared to a similar survey two years ago, churchgoers have moved closer to the ideological middle. The share identifying as “moderate” rose from 19% to 29%, while those calling themselves either conservative or liberal increased modestly.
Barna, director of research at the Cultural Research Center and Senior Research Fellow at FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview, said this drift may partly reflect “the intense political controversies and hostilities of the past few years.”
Despite widespread political engagement — 93% of regular churchgoers are registered to vote and 84% describe themselves as consistent voters — fewer now ground their choices in Scripture, according to the survey. The study found less than half (46%) said they determine who and what to vote for primarily based on biblical principles and candidate character, down from 51% in 2023.
Choosing socialism
Despite a plurality identifying as conservative, one in three churchgoers (32%) said they prefer socialism to capitalism — a result statistically unchanged since 2023. Only 46% reject socialism, while 22% are undecided.
Support for socialism is especially strong among younger adults, blacks, those earning more than $100,000 annually, and churchgoers lacking a biblical worldview. Among those identifying as LGBTQ, 60% expressed a preference for socialism — nearly double the national average.
To access the full publication, “Social Issues and Worldview: A National Survey of Churchgoing Americans,” please visit FRC.org/Worldview.
EDITOR’S NOTE — The Baptist Paper edited this report that was originally released by George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. Barna, who founded the original Barna Group and now serves as director of research at the CRC, has more than four decades of experience studying faith and culture. He is the author of more than 60 books, including “Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’s Heart, Mind and Soul.”
