Ryan, I think some reporting from the field should be combined with your data-driven approach in this case. The big store in Hispanic Christianity both in the U.S. and in Central and South America is Pentecostalism. So much so that Baptist and other Premillennial/semi-fundamental Hispanic churches now frequently worship in Pentecostal style. I believe this trend has also strongly affected Hispanic Catholic worship as well. Since Pentecostalism is in general a variety of Evangelicalism, I wonder if part of the bigger story is the Pentecostal takeover of Hispanic Christianity? I _think_ such a phenomenon would help explain a few things, including, _maybe_, the movement of American Hispanic voters to the right. What do you think? Do you have any way to get at this in the data? --Jim Robb
I'm honestly surprised that Hispanics continue to show up this Catholic in the data, just based on personal experience. I strongly suspect that a lot of US Hispanics are very nominal/cultural Catholics and that evangelical Hispanics are, on average, a lot more involved in church, such that the population of US Hispanics that are in church on any given Sunday might possibly already be majority evangelical (with a lean towards Pentecostal/charismatic), and if not true today, then it's even more likely to be true in the near future (e.g. that 2030 prediction cited in the post).
I live in a town in CO that has a majority-minority Hispanic Population. There are many small churches serving the town's diverse Hispanic population. And there are 5 Catholic churches : all are on the smallish side: two are located in the Hispanic part of the town.
However, there are a dozen or so (mostly small) evangelical and/ or non-denominational churches specifically serving the town's Hispanic population. All seem (on Friday night/Saturday and Sunday morning drive-bys) to have robust attendance....as opposed to the Catholic ones I drive by.
I don't know the demographic make-up of the churches....and sure wish I did.
Even if you don’t attend church, someone born catholic probably goes to a Catholic Church for weddings and funerals. Just as someone born Episcopalian would do the same.
I don’t know where Hispanic Catholic nominals are getting married today. But when I think about my white Millennial peers, I can really only think of one couple that is not committed to churchgoing but had a (Methodist) church wedding. And I did have a lot of Catholic peers. I can think of a lot just off the top of my head that went to the courthouse. Which makes me think a lot of Hispanic nominals are going there too.
I Googled quickly and church weddings *collapsed* in the last 15 years or so:
Church weddings are more expensive, more of a hassle for a bunch of ritual you don’t believe in. And let’s not forget that nominals and nones are usually getting married after living together 3+ years. The courthouse is appealing if you’re just checking a box, as opposed to throwing a big fuss for a couple that is functionally married, may even have a kid already.
Hi Ryan. I'm a bit confused by some of the data in this post compared to previous things you've said. Here you say 44% of Black respondents self-describe as Evangelical. Previously you've said both that there is a growing trend for "Evangelical" to be used as a shorthand for "Republican" - but you've also said that that vast majority of Black voters in the USA vote for the Democrats. Can you help sort that out? Thanks.
Ryan, I think some reporting from the field should be combined with your data-driven approach in this case. The big store in Hispanic Christianity both in the U.S. and in Central and South America is Pentecostalism. So much so that Baptist and other Premillennial/semi-fundamental Hispanic churches now frequently worship in Pentecostal style. I believe this trend has also strongly affected Hispanic Catholic worship as well. Since Pentecostalism is in general a variety of Evangelicalism, I wonder if part of the bigger story is the Pentecostal takeover of Hispanic Christianity? I _think_ such a phenomenon would help explain a few things, including, _maybe_, the movement of American Hispanic voters to the right. What do you think? Do you have any way to get at this in the data? --Jim Robb
I think this is happening in Africa, too.
I'm honestly surprised that Hispanics continue to show up this Catholic in the data, just based on personal experience. I strongly suspect that a lot of US Hispanics are very nominal/cultural Catholics and that evangelical Hispanics are, on average, a lot more involved in church, such that the population of US Hispanics that are in church on any given Sunday might possibly already be majority evangelical (with a lean towards Pentecostal/charismatic), and if not true today, then it's even more likely to be true in the near future (e.g. that 2030 prediction cited in the post).
I live in a town in CO that has a majority-minority Hispanic Population. There are many small churches serving the town's diverse Hispanic population. And there are 5 Catholic churches : all are on the smallish side: two are located in the Hispanic part of the town.
However, there are a dozen or so (mostly small) evangelical and/ or non-denominational churches specifically serving the town's Hispanic population. All seem (on Friday night/Saturday and Sunday morning drive-bys) to have robust attendance....as opposed to the Catholic ones I drive by.
I don't know the demographic make-up of the churches....and sure wish I did.
Where do you go for weddings and funerals?
Even if you don’t attend church, someone born catholic probably goes to a Catholic Church for weddings and funerals. Just as someone born Episcopalian would do the same.
I don’t know where Hispanic Catholic nominals are getting married today. But when I think about my white Millennial peers, I can really only think of one couple that is not committed to churchgoing but had a (Methodist) church wedding. And I did have a lot of Catholic peers. I can think of a lot just off the top of my head that went to the courthouse. Which makes me think a lot of Hispanic nominals are going there too.
I Googled quickly and church weddings *collapsed* in the last 15 years or so:
https://religionnews.com/2018/06/07/fewer-couples-are-marrying-in-churches-does-is-matter/
Church weddings are more expensive, more of a hassle for a bunch of ritual you don’t believe in. And let’s not forget that nominals and nones are usually getting married after living together 3+ years. The courthouse is appealing if you’re just checking a box, as opposed to throwing a big fuss for a couple that is functionally married, may even have a kid already.
Hi Ryan. I'm a bit confused by some of the data in this post compared to previous things you've said. Here you say 44% of Black respondents self-describe as Evangelical. Previously you've said both that there is a growing trend for "Evangelical" to be used as a shorthand for "Republican" - but you've also said that that vast majority of Black voters in the USA vote for the Democrats. Can you help sort that out? Thanks.
The white and black churches are separated and unrelated.