Pew: Fewer Iowans are identifying as Christians
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Fewer Iowans are attending church or identifying as Christian, per new 2023-24 Pew Research Center data.
Why it matters: Religion is a part of a "larger social puzzle" that has historically provided a built-in community, Drake University professor Brad Crowell tells Axios.
State of play: Iowans identifying as Christians declined by 20% over the past 16 years, also mirroring the broader national decline.
- Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated — atheists, agnostics and those identifying as "nothing in particular" — grew by 16% over the same period.
Zoom out: People under 40 often stop attending church after leaving home and are less likely to seek a new one. They're also more likely than older generations to leave if their church shares anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.
- The pandemic likely sped up church departures, Crowell says. Many lost the habit of attending weekly or found other online communities that better aligned with their beliefs.
- "It becomes more an ideological thing than a community thing," Crowell says, pointing out that people also have become more partisan.
The intrigue: There are also some unique underlying dynamics in Iowa.
- People identifying as Evangelicals have declined by 7% over the last decade, per Pew. They may be shifting toward contemporary non-denominational churches that are also often conservative, Crowell says.
- Small-town and neighborhood churches are also disappearing in favor of "church shopping," in which people are willing to travel to worship in a place that fits their ideologies — typically larger suburban churches, Crowell says. Someone from Adel may be willing to drive to West Des Moines for church, for example.
- But that also presents its own struggles, Cromwell says, because people may drive 20-40 minutes rather than connect with neighbors down the street.
What's next: The decline in Christianity appears to be leveling off, according to Pew.
