Shifts in American Religiosity and Spirituality from 1995 to 2014: How Did Community Life Change?

Abstract This article examines the shifting landscape of American religiosity and spirituality alongside supposed declines in community life during recent decades. We leverage three waves of longitudinal US data spanning 1995–2014 to investigate whether adults’ self-designations of religion/spirituality are associated with their sense of contribution to others and the extent of their perceived social connectedness. Overall, more adults became spiritual but not religious (SBNR), even as the sample charted a diverse range of religious and spiritual pathways. Over time, individuals consistently endorsing both religiosity and spirituality had relatively high levels of connectedness and contribution, contrasting with those embracing neither. SBNR adults occupied somewhat of a middle ground. Those both religious and spiritual appeared to tap most fully into two complementary mechanisms—the self-transcending motivation of spiritual engagement plus the integrative functions of congregational activity. Findings prompt questions about the evolving roles of religiosity and spirituality in more recent cohorts, particularly post-COVID-19.