“Spirituality” and not only “Religion” is declining according to this study.

I’d like to introduce you to my favorite article on the future of Religion in Europe.

You can read a short summary below or just go here for the article: “The Rise and Fall of Fuzzy Fidelity in Europe”

A Short Summary

David Voas is an eminent quantitative social scientist with a background in demography.

He is currently leading an investigation of religious and secular morality in Europe.

In this article he challenges the popular assumption that as religion declines a liberal theology or “spirituality” is flourishing.

The Main Argument

As we all know, traditional religious groups are in decline – no one argues this.

However, what Voas does argue is that the dramatic rise of “fuzzy fidelity” (or liberal, non-traditional spiritual groups) at the beginning of the twentieth centure is NOT a new form of religion destined to grow but is itself a transitional stage on the path to more fully secular culture.

In other words, liberal or non-traditional spiritual groups have not been successful at handing on their orientation to a new generation.

There has been a deep and possibly abiding disconnection. In fact liberal believers have been just as bad at handing on their faith as traditional religious groups, though perhaps for different reasons.

It is a startling study, in part, because it challenges the popular assumption, “if people don’t value religion they at least value spirituality.”

In terms of organizations which represent both groups – they are both drying up according to Voas.

-Greg Barker