New PRRI Data Rebuts “Religious Revival” Claims
Special Edition Buzz: April 15, 2026
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1. New PRRI Data Rebuts “Religious Revival” Claims
The annual PRRI Census of American Religion, released today, finds no evidence that Americans are returning to church in higher numbers – and little change in Americans’ religious affiliation in the past year. Surveying a random sample of 40,000 adults throughout 2025, PRRI finds that two-thirds of Americans (66%) identify as Christian, including 41% who are white Christians and 25% who are Christians of color. Roughly three in ten Americans are religiously unaffiliated (28%), and 6% identify with a non-Christian religion. While there has been a slight pause in the overall rate of religious disaffiliation, religious affiliation did not grow in 2025. Roughly one in four Americans attend religious services weekly in 2025 (26%) — a figure that remains unchanged from 2024, while 53% say they seldom or never attend religious services. Explore the full 2025 PRRI Census of American Religion.
2. Are We Actually Experiencing a Christian Revival?
Sarah Jones at New York Magazine covers claims from right-wing news outlets, churches, and influencers that Gen Z is “returning to Christianity.” According to the new 2025 PRRI Census of American Religion, the percentage of young Americans (18-29) who are religiously unaffiliated has remained unchanged in the past year, shifting from 38% in 2024 to 39% in 2025. PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman, Ph.D, explains that among Gen Z young women, religiosity is declining more quickly than their male counterparts, “For a lot of these women, they see a church that is opposed to LGBTQ rights and that’s increasingly patriarchal in its language and orientation.” PRRI finds that one in five young men (20%) and women (21%) attended religious services weekly in 2025, which matches their rates of weekly attendance in 2024.
3. Trump Erupts in Rage as Pope’s Harsh New Rebuke Lands Surprise Blow
PRRI President and Founder Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., joins The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent to discuss Pope Leo’s criticism of the U.S. war on Iran, President Donald Trump’s attacks on the pope, the now-deleted, AI-generated image Trump posted of himself depicted as Jesus, and the effect these recent events may have on religious voters’ views of the president. Pointing out the difference between how white evangelical Protestants and white Catholics see Trump in PRRI’s latest polling, Jones said, “Trump's favorability among white evangelicals, even today, is [nearly] 70% and it hardly ever wavers, no matter what happens. But, his favorability among white Catholics is only 53%.” PRRI Senior Democracy Fellow Jemar Tisby, PhD, also spoke to CNN about the fallout from Trump’s controversial post, saying, “I think the president is scrambling. How do you backtrack from something like this?”
4. Church-State Separation Is a ‘Lie,’ Says Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission Chair
For Religion News Service, Adelle M. Banks reports that at a meeting for President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, the leader of the group, Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, said that “the separation of church and state is the biggest lie that’s been told in America since our founding.” Patrick suggested the statement be put on a bulletin board in “every school, every university, every business,” and compared the notion to federal notices that aim to promote safety and prevent hazards. The 2025 PRRI Census of American Religion finds that since 2013, the share of Republicans who identify as Christians has remained consistent (86% in 2013 vs. 84% in 2025), while independents have seen a decrease from 65% to 60%. Democrats, however, have seen the largest decline, from 70% to 57% in 2025.
What’s Buzzing
Read the full Census: 2025 PRRI Census of American Religion