Religiously Unaffiliated Youth in Europe: Shifting Remnants of Belief and Practice in Contexts of Diffused Religion and Cohort Decline

This study investigates the remnants and dynamics of religious beliefs and practices among religiously unaffiliated youth in Europe, comparing them with the older unaffiliated as well as with the religiously affiliated. Using EVS 2017–2021 data to test contrasting hypotheses of diffused religion and...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Coutinho, José Pereira (Author) ; Wilkins-Laflamme, Sarah 1987- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2024
In: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Year: 2024, Volume: 63, Issue: 2, Pages: 406-428
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Europe / Irreligiousness / Adult (18-35 Jahre) / Faith / Belief in the hereafter / Religious practice / Diffusion (Sociology) / Cohort analysis / History 2017-2021
RelBib Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
CB Christian life; spirituality
CH Christianity and Society
KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history
KBA Western Europe
KBK Europe (East)
TK Recent history
ZB Sociology
Further subjects:B Europe
B affiliated
B Youth
B cohort replacement
B diffused religion
B Age groups
B Unaffiliated
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Summary:This study investigates the remnants and dynamics of religious beliefs and practices among religiously unaffiliated youth in Europe, comparing them with the older unaffiliated as well as with the religiously affiliated. Using EVS 2017–2021 data to test contrasting hypotheses of diffused religion and cohort replacement, the study draws three main conclusions. First, youth believe more on average and older age groups believe less when it comes to eschatological beliefs among both the unaffiliated and the affiliated. Second, youth practice less and older age groups practice more on average among both the unaffiliated and the affiliated. Third, the gaps in levels of religious beliefs and practices remain between the religiously unaffiliated and the religiously affiliated among younger populations, but this gap is now narrower for religious practices. Results confirm both hypotheses (diffused religion and cohort replacement) depending on the dimensions of religiosity at study.
ISSN:1468-5906
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12901