Traditional religion in the United States might be heading the way of vintage items displayed on the walls of a Cracker Barrel—artifacts like butter churns and Victrolas that evoke nostalgia but serve little functional purpose in the present. This is the thesis of Christian Smith, a sociology professor at the University of Notre Dame, who argues that traditional organized religion is no longer culturally relevant to many Americans. His forthcoming book, “Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America,” suggests that religion’s cultural expiration is not just underway, but largely complete.
Drawing on more than 200 in-depth interviews, Smith’s book will be published by Oxford University Press on April 8. In it, he explains that while people often refer to religion as being in “decline,” the term doesn’t fully capture the broader transformation that has taken place.
“We almost always use the word ‘decline’ when we talk about if things aren’t going well for religion,” Smith said in a Zoom interview with RNS. “And decline is a good word. But what it’s descriptive of is organizational matters and individual religiousness. Organizations can have decline in membership or adherence, attendance, financial giving. That’s decline — it’s measurable.”
But Smith’s central focus isn’t just about measurable decreases in religious participation. Instead, he examines the underlying cultural shifts that have made religion seem outdated. These changes include various sweeping developments in society—technological advances, evolving economic systems, geopolitical shifts, military developments, and institutional transformations—that collectively altered how people perceive and engage with religion.
“The culture was formed by these big institutional, technological, economic, geopolitical, military, etc., changes,” he said. Among these were increasing individualism, the link between religion and violence in the post-9/11 era, and the rise of a third sexual revolution.
Smith notes that obsolete doesn’t necessarily mean useless. “Culturally obsolete things can still be quite useful for some people,” he explained. For example, he still owns DVDs and CDs, though younger generations have largely abandoned physical media in favor of streaming platforms. The same principle applies to religion—while it may still serve a purpose for many, it no longer holds widespread cultural influence.
Religion hasn’t been displaced by a modern, high-tech substitute, although digital technology has played a role in its decline. Smith outlines ten ways the internet has undermined religious life, such as shortening attention spans and reducing interest in in-person community participation, which often demands significant time commitments.
Importantly, Smith dismisses the idea that the waning of religion was the result of an orchestrated effort. “The social changes that have made religion obsolete were ‘long-term, highly complex and unintended,’” he said. Lifestyle changes—delaying marriage, having fewer children, or choosing not to have kids at all—contributed to weakening the role of religion, but these changes weren’t designed to diminish religious influence. Instead, people embraced them to improve their quality of life.
Broader geopolitical and economic trends also played a role. After the Cold War ended, the ideological contrast between the U.S. and the “godless” Soviets faded, which had previously helped reinforce the idea that being American meant being religious. As Smith puts it, “The end of the Cold War… was a jolt that helped to trigger the cultural avalanche that plowed over religion in the next two decades.”
Neoliberal economic policies, which increased pressure on individuals to focus on their careers, also chipped away at the time and energy people might have devoted to religious practice.
Scandals within religious institutions further eroded public trust. In particular, the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis and multiple controversies in the evangelical world—such as pastors involved in covering up abuse or misusing funds—had a damaging ripple effect. While only a small portion of clergy were implicated, the damage to religion’s reputation was widespread. These incidents “polluted” the image of religion for millions, according to Smith’s interviews.
He describes the combination of these forces as “a perfect storm.” The cumulative result is a generational shift in perception, particularly among millennials and those who came after the baby boomers. “It’s very generational,” he said. “This is especially post-boomers, especially millennials. Within the culture for that generation, religion was just kind of discredited or polluted, or it didn’t add up.”
Smith’s analysis is not an attack on religion, and he wants to make that clear. His previous work includes nearly two dozen books that explore various aspects of American religious life, including “Passing the Plate,” which examined Christian charitable giving, and his National Study of Youth and Religion, which followed the spiritual development of young people. He identifies as a Christian himself, having grown up Presbyterian before converting to Catholicism about 15 years ago.
“I don’t have an anti-religious agenda in my scholarship at all,” he said. “I’m a sociologist, so I’m here to describe the world as best I can — what’s happening and why — without cheering it on or without condemning it.”
Smith acknowledges that his message can be hard for religious communities to hear. Some pastors react with defensiveness or discouragement, fearing they’ve failed in their ministry. But he often finds that understanding the broader cultural context brings relief rather than despair.
“I said, ‘It’s not you. There’s something bigger going on here,’” he explained. When pastors realize their declining attendance isn’t unique or personal, they often feel unburdened. “If people don’t have an understanding of those social contexts, it’s very easy for them to personalize it and oftentimes blame themselves,” Smith said.
Looking ahead, Smith avoids making sweeping predictions about what will replace traditional religion. But he cautions against assuming that the decline of organized faith means secularism has definitively won.
“It’s not a binary between religion and the secular,” he said. He emphasized that the situation isn’t a simple “zero sum game.” In fact, belief in God remains widespread in the U.S., even among younger people.
Rather than vanishing, religion appears to be transforming and manifesting in new ways. Smith notes growing interest in supernatural and mystical beliefs outside of conventional religious frameworks. This is the focus of another book he’s working on. In his view, there’s an ongoing “re-enchantment” of American culture, where people who’ve left traditional religion—or were never part of it—seek meaning in areas like neopaganism, crystals, and other spiritual practices.
“As people left religion, or grew up in a world in which religion was obsolete, they became attracted to this re-enchanted culture. And there’s lots of different entry doors into it,” he said.