Recent Pattern of Secularization: A Problem of Generations?

A generation unit theory derived from Mannheim's discussion is developed as an explanation of irregularity in the secularization process. This approach indicates that distinct shifts in religious trends may be the result of age strata attempting to differentiate themselves symbolically from some other age strata. Applying this approach to recent patterns of secularization suggests that the so-called counterculture of the late 1960s may have been an important source of the shifts evident in religious trends. Tests of five derivative hypotheses using a variety of data sets lend support to this interpretation. Other instances of dramatic fluctuation in religious patterns that may be understandable as generational phenomena are suggested.