National Study of Youth and Religion

Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers

“…American youth actually share much more in common with adults than they do not share, and most American youth faithfully mirror [emphasis added] the aspirations, lifestyles, practices, and problems of the adult world into which they are being socialized…. adolescents may actually serve as a very accurate barometer [emphasis added] of the condition of the culture and institutions of our larger society…. American teenagers actually well reflect back to us the best and worst of our own adult condition and culture” (Smith 191).

This quotation from Soul Searching provides a critical lens through which to view the findings in the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). The images of “mirror” and “barometer” highlight the basic conclusion that young people tell us much about the religious beliefs and practices of adults in our church and in our society. Though the study focused on young people, the findings serve as a window into the adult church, with profound implications.

There is a second underlying image, also very important for understanding the findings. Smith describes teenagers’ basic approach to religion as a benign “Whatever-ism.” The findings demonstrate that most youth call themselves Christians and attend worship—as well as Christian education and youth ministry programs—regularly. However, most youth do not have a religious language to prove it, nor do they understand the central doctrines of historically orthodox Christianity. While it is apparent that most youth have participated in many Christian education classes, it is also apparent that they have not learned much in the way of Christian doctrine. There is a serious gap between how important young people say that religion is in their lives and their actual knowledge of the teachings of their denominations. This is very true for Catholic young people as well.

Understanding the NSYR Catholic Data

One of the limitations in this study is the terms used. Because of the type of survey questions asked, the need to maintain consistency in the questioning, and the ecumenical nature of the study, there is some question about the usage and understanding of terms like “youth group,” “CCD,” “religious education,” and “Sunday school” for Catholic study participants. A comprehensive Catholic pastoral outreach and ministry to adolescents—“a Catholic youth ministry program”—would include a religious education component, as well as worship opportunities, leadership development, and other programs or services reflective of the eight components of youth ministry as outlined in the USCCB document, Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Youth Ministry. In this sense, measuring participation in youth group or religious education is very limiting, as parishes may name the opportunities available to youth using a variety of terms.

When reading the Catholic Report, one needs to be careful with cross-comparisons within the Catholic subpopulations. While the findings within the Catholic Report differentiate among young people in Catholic schools, parish youth programs, and religious education programs, these groupings as reported cannot be used in a true comparative sense. Catholic school students can only be compared to youth who do not attend Catholic schools; and youth group participants to youth who do not participate in a youth group. This is because some Catholic school students may be parish youth group or religious education participants, etc. Please keep these limitations in mind as you read and analyze the Catholic data.

Learn more about the NSYR Catholic data…

Understanding the NSYR Catholic Hispanic Data

Analyzing data from the NSYR of adolescent religious beliefs and behaviors, Instituto Fe y Vida’s Research and Resource Center has published a report entitled Youth Ministry and the Socioreligious Lives of White and Hispanic Catholic Teens in the U.S., authored by Ken Johnson-Mondragón. Learn more…