Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
From Sunday Stalwarts to the Solidly Secular, the strange mix of American religious groups
From Sunday Stalwarts to the Solidly Secular, the strange mix of American religious groups
Dec 2, 2025 1:17 AM

In America, we have a problem with religious labels: they no longer fit.

As a devout evangelical, I always cringe when I hear the label used—mostly for political purposes—to include a range of heretics, political grifters, and nominal Christians who haven’t been to church in decades. But I also tire of hearing the term “nones” used as a synonym for atheists. The reality is that most people in Western Europe consider themselves to be “Christians,” they are less religious than “nones” are in America.

We need new terms to describe our various religious groupings. Fortunately, the Pew Research Center has attempted to create just such a labeling structure.

A new Pew Research analysis looks at beliefs and behaviors that cut across many denominations producing a new and revealing classification, or typology, of religion in America. The new typology sorts Americans into seven groups based on the religious and spiritual beliefs they share, how actively they practice their faith, the value they place on their religion, and the other sources of meaning and fulfillment in their lives.

The groupings, from most to least religious, are:

Sunday Stalwarts — This is the most religious of the seven typology groups. Sunday Stalwarts attend religious services weekly (82 percent), pray daily (84 percent), and participate in church groups (100 percent). They are also the most likely to believe in God as described in the Bible (94 percent) and believe in heaven and hell (97 and 91 percent, respectively). They are mostly Republicans (59 percent).

God-and-Country ­­­— This group prised of believers who are less active in church groups or other religious organizations, but still hold many traditional religious beliefs and tilt right on social and political issues. About a quarter attend religious service (27 percent) but almost none participate in church groups (less than 1 percent). They mostly believe in God as described in the Bible (91 percent) and say that believing in God is necessary to be moral. They aren’t as likely as Sunday Stalwarts to find much meaning and fulfillment in their religious faith (only 67 percent say it provides them a “great pared to 87 percent of Stalwarts). Oddly, almost 3 in 10 (29 percent) also hold some New Age beliefs. They are also mostly Republicans (59 percent).

Diversely Devout — This group is diverse both in demographics (a relatively large share are racial and ethnic minorities) and in their beliefs. This is the only group in which most people say they believe in God as described in the Bible (87 percent) and that they believe in psychics, reincarnation, and that spiritual energy can be located in physical things like mountains, trees, or crystals (95 percent). Only 12 percent of this group attend religious services weekly. They are split between Republicans (43 percent) and Democrats (49 percent).

Relaxed Religious —This group says they believe in the God of the Bible (68 percent), and almost four-in-ten (39 percent) pray daily. But relatively few attend religious services (17 percent) or participate in church groups (2 percent). Politically, e the closest to being evenly split between Republicans (45 percent) and Democrats (52 percent).

Spiritually Awake — Almost all hold at least some New Age beliefs (99 percent) and believe in heaven (98 percent). But only half (50 percent) believe in God as described in the Bible and relatively few attend religious services on a weekly basis (8 percent). They are mostly Democrats (59 percent).

Religion Resisters — This group largely considers itself spiritual (68 percent) but not religious (3 percent). They don’t go to church (only 2 percent attend weekly) or participate in religious groups (2 percent). But they almost all hold at least some New Age beliefs (98 percent) and are the most likely group to find meaning and fulfillment in being outdoors and experiencing nature (64 percent). They are overwhelmingly Democrats (78 percent).

Solidly Secular — This is the least religious of the seven groups. These relatively affluent, highly educated U.S. adults—almost all white (79 percent) and male (65 percent)—tend to describe themselves as neither religious (3 percent) nor spiritual (22 percent). They don’t believe in either the God as described in the Bible (1 percent) or hold New Age beliefs (less than 1 percent). They are predominantly Democrats (71 percent).

Take the religious typology quiz to learn which of the types is your best match.

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
The cooperative magic of work
“When people work together,” says Dylan Pahman in this week’s Acton Commentary, “they are able to multiply the fruits of their labors far beyond what they could each do alone.” “Work,” wrote the Reformed theologian Lester DeKoster, “is the form in which we make ourselves useful to others.” I like this definition because it puts things in a realistic, everyday perspective. Certainly, people can work just because they want a paycheck to spend on themselves alone. That might be greedy,...
Liberalism in all things except liberalism
Samuel Gregg, director of research at the Acton Institute, recently published a review of Maurice Cowling’s 1963 book Mill and Liberalism,in which Cowling warnsof the tendency towards“moral totalitarianism”inJohn Stuart Mill’s “religion of liberalism.”Gregg acknowledges fifty-four years after Cowling’s warning, “significant pressures are now brought to bear on those whose views don’t fit the contemporary liberal consensus.” The book’s analysis “provides insights not only into liberal intolerancein our time but also into how to address it.” Mill was not the “secular...
The solution to healthcare is solidarity, not socialism
“The answer to the healthcare conundrum is not be found in Congress or in the White House, or in any draconian centre of usurped power,” says Joseph Pearce, “it is to be found on our own doorstep, in our own homes and in the homes of our neighbors.” Put simply, the principle of subsidiarity rests on the assumption that the rights of munities—e.g., families, neighbourhoods, private associations, small businesses —should not be violated by the intervention of munities—e.g., the state...
‘Pro Rege, Vol. 2’: Kuyper on Christ’s kingship in everyday life
How are we to live in a fallen world under Christ the King? In partnership with the Acton Institute, Lexham Press has now released Pro Rege, Vol. 2: Living Under Christ the King, the second in a three-volume series on the lordship of Christ (find Volume 1 here). Originally written as a series of articles for readers ofDe Herault (The Herald), the work serves as plement to Kuyper’s three volumes on Common Grace, focusing on Christ’s claim that “All authority...
Protecting private property: The road to sainthood?
The decision to protect private property from state control played a pivotal role in the ing beatification of a Catholic martyr. On June 25 in Vilnius, the Roman Catholic Church will beatify Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis. The ceremony will mark the first time the Vatican has recognized a Soviet-era martyr from Lithuania, and the first Lithuanian beatified in his native land, according to the local bishops’ conference. Archbishop Teofilius was born in 1873 in the village of Kadariškiai. He was ordained...
Are pastors particularly partisan?
A new paper released this week by a pair of political scientists claims, as The New York Times reports, that, “pastors are even more politically divided than the congregants in their denomination.” As the abstract of the paper states: Pastors are important civic leaders within their churches munities. Several studies have demonstrated that the cues pastors send from the pulpit affect congregants’ political attitudes. However, we know little about pastors’ own political worldviews, which will shape the content and ideology...
On the House of European History: ‘Without Christianity, Europe has no soul’
The newly opened House of European History has a blind spot: It entirely omits the role that religion played in European history. According to a new essay from Arnold Huijgen at Religion & Liberty Transatlantic, when es to religion, the$61 million museum in Brussels, built by the European Parliament, is “an empty House.” Instead, the EU displaces the Divinein its exhibits. Walking through the structure the day it opened, he observed: [I]t is as if religion does not exist. In...
Let’s bring back the stigma of being a ‘Deadbeat Dad’
“Deadbeat Dads”—absent fathers who don’t provide financial support for their children—are one of the most significant factors contributing to child poverty in America. So why do some single women have children outside of marriage when they know they will receive little to no support from the child’s father? A 2014 study from the University of Georgia and Boston College attempts to answer that question. The authors created an economic model to simulate a scenario in which every absent father was...
Understanding the President’s Cabinet: U.N. Ambassador
Note: This is the post #21 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere. Cabinet position:U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Department: U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) at the State Department Current Ambassador:Nikki R. Haley Department Mission:“The U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) serves as the United States’ delegation to the United Nations. USUN is responsible for carrying out the nation’s participation in...
We need a more Spock-like politics
James Hodgkinson opened fire on a group of congressmen after ascertaining they were Republicans. He wounded several people and was killed himself by Capitol police, who were present to protect House Whip Steve Scalise. Hodgkinson was an ardent Bernie Sanders supporter and had a social media history indicated severe disdain of President Trump. The first thing to be said is that some people simply e unbalanced. There are problems of mental illness, drug imbalances, traumatic events and other catalysts for...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved