After more than a decade of steady decline, a growing share of US adults now say religion is becoming more influential in American society, according to a new Gallup poll.
The survey found that 34% believe religion’s influence is on the rise.
That’s up from just 20% a year ago and nearing the highest levels recorded since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the number of Americans who say religion’s influence is waning has dropped sharply from 75% last year to 59% today.
SIGNIFICANT REVERSAL OF A 15-YEAR TREND
This marks a significant reversal of a 15-year trend Gallup has tracked since 2009, when most Americans consistently reported that religion was losing ground in public life.
Gallup has been asking the question since 1957.
Worthy Christian News reports that one factor behind the shift is the wave of Christian revivals that have swept across US university and college campuses over the past two years, drawing national attention.
From Asbury University in Kentucky to Lee University in Tennessee and Texas A&M University, students have packed stadiums and auditoriums for extended periods of worship, prayer, and repentance.
CAMPUS REVIVALS SIGNAL RENEWED HUNGER FOR SPIRITUAL MEANING
News of those events have spread organically through social media and word of mouth.
Many Americans saw the revivals as a grassroots response to cultural turmoil and a renewed hunger for spiritual meaning among younger generations.
Personal religiosity remains unchanged with 47% of Americans saying religion is “very important” in their lives, the same as last year.
But the public perception of religion’s role appears to be shifting.
HOW POLITICAL MOOD IMPACTS INFLUENCE OF RELIGION
Analysts also point to the 2024 Republican sweep of Congress and the White House as a contributing influence.
Gallup noted similar movements after previous GOP victories, such as the congressional takeover in 1994.
In contrast, public perception of religion’s influence hit record lows after major Democratic wins,
It plummeted to just 16% in 2021 following the Democrats’ unified control of government.
IMPACT OF POLITICAL VIEWS ON PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF RELIGION
Republicans saw the sharpest rise in perception, with 35% now saying religion is becoming more influential — up from just 11% two years ago.
Democrats also saw a 9-point increase to 41%.
Surprisingly, the perception of growing religious influence is not limited to traditionally religious groups.
Forty-three percent of liberals, 41% of Democrats, and 40% of young adults now say religion is gaining ground.
Older Americans (28%) and rural residents (29%) were the least likely to say so.
PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS CONSISTENT ACROSS RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS
Views were also consistent across religious denominations about the growing influence of religion throughout US society.
Protestants (33%), Catholics (35%), and even the religiously unaffiliated (36%) reported nearly identical levels of agreement.
Similarly, perceptions did not vary significantly based on church attendance, whether weekly, occasional, or rare.
Long-term trends still show declining religious participation with fewer Americans identifying with a faith, attending services regularly, or belonging to religious organisations.
POLITICS AND CULTURE SHAPE PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
Gallup suggests that public perceptions are shaped less by personal behavior and more by political and cultural visibility.
It concludes that events such as the campus revivals, national political shifts, and a rising emphasis on faith in conservative circles, may be contributing to a sense that religion is reclaiming cultural territory.
Similar surges in perceived influence occurred after the 9/11 attacks (71%) and in April 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic (38%).
Worthy Christian News writes: “In a society navigating moral confusion, political polarisation, and generational change, Americans may be seeing faith — even if imperfectly practiced– re-emerge as a visible force in the public square.
