I'm not Gen Z, but Gen X but am concerned about this because whether or not a new era of religion is coming or will end with the aging of the boomers.
Are Gen Z men really embracing evangelical Christianity in much greater numbers than Millennials? I've seen mixed perspectives on this, with some stating that they are while others state that Gen Z evangelicals are simply louder but not necessarily greater in number.
Ignore the politics. If you you only pay attention to the religious forces in politics, You will notice a serious boomer divide between secular and religious that largely turned off Gen X and Millennials leaving only about 40% of those generations still actively religious.
But I think that Gen Z increasing religiously has less to do with Christian nationalism and politics. Gen Z was isolated during the pandemic at a young and pivotal age where budding friendships form one's core identity and this caused some phycological wounds. This is true whether they were in a religious family or in a secular family backgrond.
The wealthier sought out therapy. The disadvantaged found religion. What I have noticed when I talk to young folks is that these Gen Z'ers just want a sense of community, but they fell into a rut of only communicating with friends online, eventually causing them to feel disconnected. Studies show that Gen Z spends more time at home, spends less time with friends, and has less sex. Many are entering their careers as remote workers and they cant build the same type co-worker friendships that happened in the past. This online society really is fraying relationships in a world where business and commerce's is going all in reducing their office space for remote workers so they can spend less on building leases. We are having our food delivered directly to our door, we shop on line, there is very little in person experience once formal schooling is over. But the human need for connection does not diminish. Religion is the last institution that focuses on the in-person experience. For the Gen X'er and millennials that deconstructed religion, there were circles of friends and lots of other secular communities and organization that can fill the void. For Gen Z, that entire world is gone. If they grew without religion, there few things in modern society to provide that same level of purpose and belonging. The corporate overlords don't care about community only profit, as they push workers to worker harder or be replaced with machines or AI.
As Marx observed, religion is the opiate of the masses. The corporate forces driving this western and eastern society, are creating an oppression that cause so many to seek a detachment from life. Just as the inequality of medieval feudal society created an intensely religiously society, it is very possible that the libertarian dystopian inequality being created by the tech bros will do the same. Add in the threat of Climate change and overpopulation and it is all very depressing. Many turn to actual opiates to numb this sense of Dred, but it seems that an increasing number are turning to religion as well
In church they can find that sense of community that does not exist anymore, not at the grocery store, not at work, not in your neighborhood. And evangelicals fawn over anyone who walks into their doors making them feel special. And it is not just Christianity. Islam is increasing it's converts among young people as well.
Now this is a slight increase of religiously in Gen Z, But the isolated experience of our modern technological society does not provide meaning in life and this poses a serious risk of turning our society more religious in the future.
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