Two observations. The description of spirituality without formal affiliation has existed in other forms for a long time. Those of us who were Scouts remember #12 of the Scout Law. A Scout is Reverent. They have religious medals that can be earned by performing what each denomination requires, much like a merit badge. But no affiliation is also acceptable. Reverence in some form is required.
The trends in spirituality parcelled out over each faith tradition over 25 years has to be taken in the context of shifts in membership during that interval. The Evangelicals may be more spiritual now because the ones who were less spiritual became their sources of attrition. Much like WB Yeats' observation as Irish Revolutionaries were sorting themselves out in his era. "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
Speaking entirely anecdotally, I do think that most of the Canadian Evangelicals that I have pastored over the past fifteen years would have denied that they were religious but affirmed that they were spiritual. "I'm not a religious person" is something I hear a lot from the most religiously motivated folks in my circles!
My impression of this as an Evangelical is that in Evangelical circles, the word "religious"="ritualistic" (or alternatively, "routinized"). So when Evangelicals say this, the contrast is against the stereotype of the Cultural Catholic* who faithfully goes to Mass but never lives out the Gospel. It's protesting against a very orthopraxical way of approaching Christianity (vice the more orthodoxic tack I feel in Evangelical approaches).
*although FWIW I'm not sure that the Cultural Catholic stereotype it rejects really exists anymore, so [shrug emoji]
Yes, that's definitely the main thing being communicated by my Evangelical friends when they say they're not religious. I think it also extends to doctrine in the sense that most of them would say they don't believe what they do because it's what people like them have traditionally believed... They believe it because it's self evident to them that their beliefs are true (based on scripture, reason, and experience, primarily.) Basically, religion=tradition in their eyes.
Ryan, are Charismatics/Pentecostals included in the "Evangelical" bin? I assume so but wanted to be sure. I could imagine if you could split those out (not sure the data supports this), there might be some interesting distinictions, but that's just a guess.
Two observations. The description of spirituality without formal affiliation has existed in other forms for a long time. Those of us who were Scouts remember #12 of the Scout Law. A Scout is Reverent. They have religious medals that can be earned by performing what each denomination requires, much like a merit badge. But no affiliation is also acceptable. Reverence in some form is required.
The trends in spirituality parcelled out over each faith tradition over 25 years has to be taken in the context of shifts in membership during that interval. The Evangelicals may be more spiritual now because the ones who were less spiritual became their sources of attrition. Much like WB Yeats' observation as Irish Revolutionaries were sorting themselves out in his era. "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
Speaking entirely anecdotally, I do think that most of the Canadian Evangelicals that I have pastored over the past fifteen years would have denied that they were religious but affirmed that they were spiritual. "I'm not a religious person" is something I hear a lot from the most religiously motivated folks in my circles!
My impression of this as an Evangelical is that in Evangelical circles, the word "religious"="ritualistic" (or alternatively, "routinized"). So when Evangelicals say this, the contrast is against the stereotype of the Cultural Catholic* who faithfully goes to Mass but never lives out the Gospel. It's protesting against a very orthopraxical way of approaching Christianity (vice the more orthodoxic tack I feel in Evangelical approaches).
*although FWIW I'm not sure that the Cultural Catholic stereotype it rejects really exists anymore, so [shrug emoji]
Yes, that's definitely the main thing being communicated by my Evangelical friends when they say they're not religious. I think it also extends to doctrine in the sense that most of them would say they don't believe what they do because it's what people like them have traditionally believed... They believe it because it's self evident to them that their beliefs are true (based on scripture, reason, and experience, primarily.) Basically, religion=tradition in their eyes.
Ryan, are Charismatics/Pentecostals included in the "Evangelical" bin? I assume so but wanted to be sure. I could imagine if you could split those out (not sure the data supports this), there might be some interesting distinictions, but that's just a guess.