Pew Research Center: 22% of US Adults are ‘Spiritual but Not Religious’.

Statistics from the Pew Research Center show that despite affiliation with organised religion decreasing amongst Americans, belief in a soul or spirit is at 83% and belief in a higher power at 81%, with 30% reporting personal spiritual experience. It appears that spirituality can still thrive in a nation where only 30% of citizens visit church regularly. This could pose a significant challenge to the seemingly restrictive institutions of established churches, with many trading in sacraments and sermons for crystals and folk spirituality. 

Firstly, let’s define what spirituality is, according to those who believe in it. In the same Pew Research Center poll, those who described themselves as spiritual also said that the most significant parts of being spiritual include: connection with a higher power, connection with oneself, and connection with nature, amongst other things. Although the definition appears to be fluid, it is clear that many of those who consider themselves spiritual prioritise connection with the self, or connection with natural forces, representing at once an individualistic philosophy based on one’s own soul, as well as a communal sense of connection with others through the natural world or a higher power. 

Next, lets review some of the statistics gathered by Pew Research Center: 

1. 83% of Americans say that they believe in a soul or spirit in addition to the physical body. 

2. 45% of Americans say that they regularly feel connected to something beyond this world. 

3. 26 % of Americans believe that crystals or stones can hold spiritual power. 

4. 81% of Americans say that there is something spiritual beyond the natural world (a higher power). 

These beliefs are not necessarily opposed to the teachings of major religions - it is easy to disparage crystal-users for naivety or delusion, but the Roman Catholic Church, for example, would hold that certain relics have spiritual power, and crystals have been used for spirituality or magic since the time of the Sumerians. In addition to this, it goes without saying that major religions generally subscribe to the idea of a soul, a higher power, and connection to other-worldly forces. Surely, therefore, it is unnecessary to force a dichotomy between some spiritual practices and others. 

However, the statistic that would threaten established Churches the most is the number of people considering themselves ‘spiritual but not religious’. In 2005, the Pew Research Center reported that 37% of people who consider themselves religiously unaffiliated also consider themselves spiritual, and in 2023, they reported that 22% of all Americans identify this way. To clear up any uncertainty, those who consider themselves ‘spiritual but not religious’ would often agree with many of the supernatural or philosophical claims made by major religions, but tend to want to escape dogma and organised religion. 

It would be reasonable to suggest that the perceived restrictiveness of organised religion, and its declining influence in contemporary society represent significant factors in the increase in people identifying as ‘spiritual but not religious’. This has in part been driven by the most recent ‘Satanic Panic’ in the culture wars - religious conservatives, particularly in the US, have promoted hysteria around demonic sex-abusers, LGBTQ+ celebrities like Lil Nas X, and the apparent danger of satanic worship. This has triggered an opposite reaction amongst a loosely organised group of people calling themselves ‘Satanists’. Rather than being legitimate Satan worshippers, however, they are generally counter-cultural, spiritual, and often LGBTQ+. Their belief is a reaction to the entrenching of a highly conservative Christian nationalism at government level in the US. This is reinforced by Pew Research Center data showing that the majority of ‘spiritual but not religious’ Americans are left-leaning, women, and under the age of 50 - people more likely to oppose conservative Christianity. 

Furthermore, it could be argued that although science may have reduced the need for organised religion, delegitimised holy books, or disproved the significance of relics and idols, it has not yet provided a suitable and comforting explanation for our relationship with nature and the universe in the absence of religion. For people from all different walks of life, from (privately) Pagan schoolteachers to meditation experts, it would appear that reconnecting with ancient traditions like Paganism, Hellenism, and other spiritualities is seen as the solution to these big questions. Spirituality itself is far from new, and when considering the legitimacy of being ‘spiritual but not religious’, we must delve deeper into the history of spirituality and how it was treated before the advent of organised religion. However, it seems that the modern phenomenon of non-institutionalised spirituality has received a post-secularisation boost. 

What are the effects, then, of being ‘spiritual but not religious’, first on the individual, and then on traditional religions and their memberships? Firstly, a BBC News article from 2013 states that identifying this way is linked to having poor mental health, although this is not concrete, as spirituality does bring certain mental health benefits in its practices, such as meditation or even exercise. However, the well-documented benefits of a religious lifestyle (community, organisation, purpose) are lost when living a ‘spiritual but not religious’ life. Furthermore, although belief in a higher power is common across all approaches, according to the Pew Research Center, 39% of those considering themselves spiritual believe that spirituality is defined as their ability to find a set of beliefs that they make for themself. This would certainly be troubling to a religious believer - the replacement of an absolute moral and spiritual authority with an individualistic and personal approach. In short, the jury is out on the effects of being ‘spiritual but not religious’ upon the individual, and opinions would most likely vary based on the spiritual convictions of whoever you asked. And this leads us to the second question: what effect will this have on traditional religions? 

For one, it is unreasonable to suggest that declining Church attendance is caused by an increase in ‘spiritual but not religious’ individuals. There is almost certainly a link, but there are other factors in play for both phenomenons. Furthermore, the inherently disorganised, individualistic, and non-institutional nature of non-religious spirituality, combined with its relatively isolated base (22% 0f the US population seems less significant when compared with 69% of the population identifying with Christianity) could mean that it is simply incapable of posing a challenge to religious institutions, and, one could argue, given that this approach is so subjective and decentralised in nature, it would never intend to. 

If you’d like to see a more in-depth and opinion based analysis of those who identify as ‘spiritual but not religious’, let me know in the comment box below!