Is Religion in Decline? (With Ryan Burge)

Is religion in decline or are we headed for a revival? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with America's leading political scientist Ryan Burge.

Further resources

Karl Marx thought religion would disappear: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/jun/29/marx-religion-philosophy-opium

Durkheim thought religion would decline/disappear: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0037768614560959?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.15#:~:text=While%20Durkheim%20held%2C%20as%20did,Pickering%2C%201984:%20445).

Declining religion around the world:  https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSNewsShow.jsp?ID=433#:~:text=From%202007%20to%202020%2C%20an,place%20among%20the%20American%20public.
https://www.axios.com/2023/10/06/organized-religion-decline-agnostic-atheist-nonreligious

Religious populations having the most kids:https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/12/21/key-findings-from-the-global-religious-futures-project/

Religious in America have the most kids: https://ifstudies.org/blog/americas-growing-religious-secular-fertility-divide

Rise of “Nones” appears to have halted: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/us/christianity-us-religious-study-pew.html

Blesses
The Pitt (TV Show)
Small ChurchesThe American Religious Landscape (Book)Hacksaw Ridge (Movie)

Curses

The White Lotus (TV Show)The Righteous Gemstones (TV Show)God’s Not Dead (Movie)The Front Room (Movie)

Websites

The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comRyan Burge: graphsaboutreligion.com