Why Baby Boomers Turned From Religion PDF Download

This research is a qualitative investigation of how baby boomers (born 1946 to 1964) who self-identify as increasing in Christian religiosity from a place of no faith or nominal faith have done so as they enter early old age (age 65 to 80) in the rural American context. The qualitative study was conducted with a total of 50 study participants: 31 baby boomers who self-identify as increasing in religiosity over the past 10 years, and 19 pastors who minister to baby boomers. The study focuses on why these baby boomers experienced a change in religious believing, belonging, or behaving and how the influences of aging, period, cohort (APC), and geographic context shape their self-identified changes. There is an overall pattern of baby boomer descriptions of religious change; they are most likely to describe their change in religiosity in terms of belonging. The narrative focus of the research revealed that life experience cumulatively impacts current religiosity decisions. There is simultaneously a great deal of diversity among baby boomer “Life Course” experiences to be aware of, yet there is an overall pattern to religious change descriptions. Among APC influences on Christian religiosity, aging was shared as the most significant influence, particularly losses that increase over the lifespan. The influence of aging is not merely a developmental process—the role of period events across the life course, as well as cohort influences (especially religious socialization), are complementary influences. While rural context has some direct impact on religiosity, the more significant influence is how it shapes the experience of APC, in turn significantly affecting changes in religiosity. This study further establishes that the utilization of a rural continuum is far superior to approaching rurality as a monolithic experience. There is diversity due to threshold variables of population, distance, and integration as well as “rural expression” variables of density, land use, and within county variation. This research indicates that baby boomers have been attracted to churches with certain attributes. There are three identified points of belonging: 1) the worship setting, 2) small groups, and 3) service groups. Each of these points of belonging offer important pull factors drawing baby boomers “back to church”: safe places, challenge over chaplaincy, informal design, storytelling, and relationships.