4 ms·

first time in 80 years, anyway. for rather more of the 19th century than we think, regular church attendance was more like 35% of the country.

ekianjo 6y ago
Any source for that?
- hprotagonist 6y ago
  https://www-tc.pbs.org/fmc/book/pdf/ch6.pdf https://www-tc.pbs.org/fmc/book/pdf/ch6.pdf gives 41% in the first decade of the 20th century, quoting the US Census Bureau. "Unaffiliated with any church" was the majority position of the US from then until at least 1950, it seems: https://rmadisonj.blogspot.com/2015/03/sunday-mornin-comin-down.html https://rmadisonj.blogspot.com/2015/03/sunday-mornin-comin-d...
dbatten 6y ago
Thanks for pointing this out. There's a big difference between church attendance and church membership... Unfortunately, the original linked article glosses over the difference, while the original Gallup study digs into it. According to Gallup, approximately half of the recent reduction in church membership can be attributed to people becoming less religious, while the other half is explained by people who still attend church regularly, but avoid formal "membership" in a congregation. And, to your point, the historical data is very telling. My understanding is that the idea that basically everybody in the US used to be super religious and go to church all the time is largely a myth. In fact, I believe the high-water mark for US church attendance as a percentage of the population was actually around 1990. (Source: Sociologists of religion Rodney Stark / Roger Finke. Their book "The Churching of America" attempts to get historical stats on this question, and includes this graph: https://madeinamericathebook.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/finke-stark-e1268599725738.jpg https://madeinamericathebook.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/fin...) Take from these stats/trends what you will. Just adding some additional context to the discussion.
- calvinmorrison 6y ago
  > while the other half is explained by people who still attend church regularly, but avoid formal "membership" in a congregation. I wonder if this can be explained by an increase in people moving around compared to a hundred years ago. I am a member of the church I was raised in, but I am not local enough attend. I do visit when I am with my parents but otherwise it doesn't make sense. I wouldn't go join another church though - even though I do attend other services in my city, I am not a member at those churches
  - dbatten 6y ago
    Yeah, likely part of it. I think there's also been a rise in non-denominational and "seeker-sensitive" churches that just don't have any concept of membership at all...
bryanlarsen 6y ago
membership != attendance. There's a joke somewhere about people who only attend church for their baptism and their funeral.
- yostrovs 6y ago
  Imagine ordering from Amazon, but not being a Prime member. That should help put things in a more materialistic perspective.
- hprotagonist 6y ago
  “C and E C of E” is a well known trope. (read: christmas and easter church of england)

ekianjo 6y ago

Any source for that?

hprotagonist 6y ago
https://www-tc.pbs.org/fmc/book/pdf/ch6.pdf https://www-tc.pbs.org/fmc/book/pdf/ch6.pdf gives 41% in the first decade of the 20th century, quoting the US Census Bureau. "Unaffiliated with any church" was the majority position of the US from then until at least 1950, it seems: https://rmadisonj.blogspot.com/2015/03/sunday-mornin-comin-down.html https://rmadisonj.blogspot.com/2015/03/sunday-mornin-comin-d...

dbatten 6y ago

Thanks for pointing this out. There's a big difference between church attendance and church membership... Unfortunately, the original linked article glosses over the difference, while the original Gallup study digs into it. According to Gallup, approximately half of the recent reduction in church membership can be attributed to people becoming less religious, while the other half is explained by people who still attend church regularly, but avoid formal "membership" in a congregation. And, to your point, the historical data is very telling. My understanding is that the idea that basically everybody in the US used to be super religious and go to church all the time is largely a myth. In fact, I believe the high-water mark for US church attendance as a percentage of the population was actually around 1990. (Source: Sociologists of religion Rodney Stark / Roger Finke. Their book "The Churching of America" attempts to get historical stats on this question, and includes this graph: https://madeinamericathebook.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/finke-stark-e1268599725738.jpg https://madeinamericathebook.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/fin...) Take from these stats/trends what you will. Just adding some additional context to the discussion.

calvinmorrison 6y ago
> while the other half is explained by people who still attend church regularly, but avoid formal "membership" in a congregation. I wonder if this can be explained by an increase in people moving around compared to a hundred years ago. I am a member of the church I was raised in, but I am not local enough attend. I do visit when I am with my parents but otherwise it doesn't make sense. I wouldn't go join another church though - even though I do attend other services in my city, I am not a member at those churches
- dbatten 6y ago
  Yeah, likely part of it. I think there's also been a rise in non-denominational and "seeker-sensitive" churches that just don't have any concept of membership at all...

bryanlarsen 6y ago

membership != attendance. There's a joke somewhere about people who only attend church for their baptism and their funeral.

yostrovs 6y ago
Imagine ordering from Amazon, but not being a Prime member. That should help put things in a more materialistic perspective.
hprotagonist 6y ago
“C and E C of E” is a well known trope. (read: christmas and easter church of england)