Religion, Re-imagined

Of all the ways that the pandemic has disrupted life as we know it, one area is often overlooked is faith and religion. In response to the pandemic, religious leaders all around the world were forced to adapt their approach to worship and reconcile age-old rituals with new decrees around public safety. While some readily migrated to virtual platforms, others saw increased tension with government figures, believing that their inalienable rights to practice religion freely were under attack.

The heightened conflict between religious groups and government figures has seen other manifestations. Tensions created by a more equal balance of power between supporters of LGBTQ equality and religious freedom erupted this month, when a comprehensive LGBTQ rights measure called the Equality Act came before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Similarly, many Evangelical groups have seen increased conflict with health officials following their public denouncement of the vaccine.

Tracking to our Element of Culture, Squealing, all this tension has alienated many young people who “are now opting for other forms of spirituality and faith,”  said Olivia McLean, strategy director. Those who work closely with teens and young adults say Gen Zers are just as spiritually inclined as older generations. 

Though a majority of Gen Z identify as non-religious, they still look for social structures to express community cohesion and shared values and stories that create shared meaning. Many have found spirituality in the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice causes. As young people continue to negotiate faith on their own terms, it will be interesting to observe new manifestations of spirituality that are rooted in different ideas of justice and community cohesion.

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