Recent research paints a sobering picture of faith in America: The religiously unaffiliated are growing, theological convictions are weakening and the “spiritual” population remains a relatively small group.
The data carries a dual challenge for Christians. There’s the need to understand who their neighbors are and to reckon with what’s happening inside their own pews.
‘Nones’ are growing but not seeking
The term “nones” — those who identify as atheist, agnostic or having no religious preference — is shorthand for a rapidly expanding demographic.
According to data from the General Social Survey (GSS) analyzed by researcher Ryan Burge, nones represent 13% of the American adult population in 1998. By 2022, that doubled to 27%.
But there’s a popular assumption that presumes the rise of nones reflects a wave of spiritually curious people who left organized religion for something more personal — the so-called “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). But the data challenges that narrative.
“Two-thirds of the non-religious were also not very spiritual either,” Ryan Burge wrote in a May 2025 analysis. “Just 12% of the nones said that they were ‘very spiritual.’”
Despite doubling in size over 24 years, the spiritual composition of nones barely shifted. Not a single response option on the spirituality scale moved by more than two percentage points.
“There is no evidence to be found here that the nones grew larger because of an influx of SBNR people,” Burge concluded.
When examining overall American spirituality, the GSS data shows a similarly flat or declining trend. The share of Americans identifying as “very spiritual” rose modestly from 22% in 1998 to 26% in 2022. Meanwhile, those identifying as “not at all spiritual” rose from 12% to 15%. The “not at all religious” group saw the most dramatic shift from 15% in 1998 to 29% in 2022 — nearly doubling.
“I think it’s probably the case that the ‘not at all religious’ response option will be the plurality in the next five years,” Burge wrote.
As for the SBNR category — those who score high on spirituality and low on religion — Burge found it represents less than 20% of American adults today, up 8% since 1998. That equates to about half a percentage point of growth per year.
“It’s certainly some movement, but not at all dramatic,” he wrote. “From my vantage point, this is still very much a niche part of the religious landscape.”
Still, there is a glimmer of hope among Gen Z specifically.
Barna research from 2023 shows two-thirds of Gen Z were highly or moderately spiritually open. But the most receptive moment in a young person’s life may also be the most fleeting. Forty-six percent of Gen Z teenagers show high spiritual openness, compared to just 28% of Gen Z adults.
Church planter and author Carey Nieuwhof cautions in a Lifeway article by Paul Worchester that this openness does not automatically translate into embracing Christianity. The rise in New Age spirituality and meditation gain traction among the same young people. If the church doesn’t step up in high school and college campuses, false spirituality will fill the void.
Attendance gaps reveal theological fractures
The challenge for the church is not only outside its walls, however. A Lifeway Research study by Aaron Earls examined theological differences between frequent churchgoers — who attend weekly or more — and infrequent attendees, defined as those who attend once or twice a month. The findings reveal some gaps.
On the foundational question of Jesus’ bodily resurrection, 85% of frequent attendees strongly agree the biblical accounts are completely accurate. Among infrequent attendees, that number dropped to 64%. More jarring: 51% of infrequent churchgoers agreed that Jesus was a great teacher but not God, compared to just 28% of frequent attendees.
The gaps widen when it comes to the authority of Scripture. Frequent churchgoers were far more likely to strongly believe the Bible is the highest authority for what they believe (76% vs 52%); that it is completely accurate in all it teaches (69% vs 46%); and that it has authority to tell them what they must do (65% vs 37%).
“Some of the widest differences between infrequent and weekly church attendees are in the strength of responses to the accuracy and authority of Scripture,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
Cultural and moral convictions diverged as well. Frequent attendees were more likely to strongly agree that sex outside of marriage is a sin (68% vs 42%); that abortion is a sin (61% vs 38%); and that God created marriage to be between one man and one woman (84% vs 68%).
“This relationship between lack of attendance and theological positions should sound an alarm among church leaders and dedicated Christians,” said Daniel Price, statistician at Lifeway Research. “Increasing attendance alone will not guarantee an improvement in the acceptance of Christian theological positions. Yet Christians should be continually reaching out to those who are infrequent attendees in the hopes of increasing their theological knowledge and understanding of God’s Word.”
One outlier in the data was a significant rise in evangelicals identifying as “very spiritual.” In 1998, 28% of evangelicals described themselves as “very spiritual.” By 2022, that figure had risen to 46%, an 18-point increase that dwarfed any other Christian tradition.
Burge noted the irony.
“Maybe all that talk about how ‘it’s not a religion but a relationship’ has led many evangelicals to see themselves as more spiritual,” he wrote.
Skepticism and surprising openness
Despite the bleak numbers, a separate Lifeway Research survey of nones — analyzed by McConnell — reveals a more nuanced picture of a group that is skeptical but not entirely closed off.
Two-thirds of nones (68%) disagree that religion is important in their lives. Fifty-four percent say society’s move away from religion is inevitable, and the same say Christianity feels like a “museum filled with ideas important in the past.” Half say no one really knows what happens after death.
Additionally, nones are evenly split with 42% agreeing and 42% disagreeing on whether they can imagine any religion being a true motivator of positive human action.
McConnell noted, “half of Nones don’t think it’s possible for them to believe in Jesus Christ (or any other religion).”
The same survey found that nearly 7 in 10 nones (69%) agree there are times they think there must be something more to life than what they have.
A similar number said they believe there is a “a source of wholeness in life” they want to find (68%) and that “we need a better source of wisdom for life’s problems” (69%).
‘Bigger question’
The research also offered practical guidance for those seeking to share their faith. Most nones (68%) feel religion has been imposed on them rather than offered.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) believe Christian morals are judgmental. But two in three nones said they are more willing to hear a Christian talk about faith if they don’t act like they have all the answers.
“The non-religious may consider Christianity if it’s offered not imposed, explained not assumed,” McConnell wrote.
“But maybe the bigger question for us to consider isn’t whether they want to hear the gospel message but whether we love them enough to try to share it,” he wrote.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Zoë Watkins and originally published by the Baptist and Reflector.
