Are we experiencing a global religious revival?

Photos by Trinity Johnson, Photographer.

Are religious practices making a comeback? The leaders driving this religious revival are different from what you may think. 

“Is there a New Religious Revival?” by Joel Kotkin and Bheki Mahlobo explores the current religious growth occurring worldwide, their research specifically focusing on North America's unique spiritual restructuring while also covering a global review on demographics and specific religious institutions. 

Joel Kotkin, Roger Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman, and Bheki Mahlobo, a recent graduate in Chapman's Master’s in Behavioral and Computational Economics program, worked together on this religious phenomenon research. 

Published in February 2026, their research focused on the current “religious revival.” Kotkin and Mahlobo found that there isn't necessarily a higher percentage of religious individuals; the kinds of people who are embracing religion are very different from the original stereotypes.

“There is not necessarily a religious revival, but there is a change in the nature of religious engagement, and it's increasingly appealing to educated young people,” said Kotkin.

Mahlobo also found that when visiting several megachurches throughout North America, megachurches being Christian congregations in which about 2,000 people attend weekly, many of the attending individuals were highly educated. This leads to the research question: Is it true that the more educated you are, the less likely you are to attend church?

“What we found in the data is that the composition of the churchgoer in the United States is more likely to be educated than not,” said Mahlobo, ultimately sparking the interest of where the research would look further.

The research began with assessing current and historical settings, covering several research reports on three dimensions that appear to be growing: how faith is rising within societies, what is driving the recent return to religion and how the beliefs and attitudes of those highly educated and influential are changing. 

When it comes to spiritual involvement, there has been a decline in religion seen in most Western countries. Even in the most religious part of the U.S., as many as 100,000 churches will be empty in the next few years, according to one expert. 

When it comes to religious affiliation, Kotkin said Americans have shifted their ways from doing good things for moral calculation and instead for political calculation. 

However, data from the 2020s suggest a complex spiritual restructuring, particularly in the U.S., with the Pew Research Center noting Christianity is experiencing a rise in attendance, notably among Gen Z men.

“The Effectiveness of Faith” focused on researching secularization theory and religion's role among individuals of various educational backgrounds. Pew Research Center and other experts found that while belief in biblical literalism declines along with education, participation in these religious communities does not. 

Covering the idea of religious affiliation, the research found this commitment has become more linked to community leadership, overall stability and respectability. 

“It’s a way to form a community and to be connected with family,” said Mahlobo. “That structure is quite important for one's mental well-being as well as them having purpose, finding meanings and connecting with people.”

“The Drivers of Religious Revival” explained the strong online presence of religion. Generation-wise, they reflected how millennials and Gen Z are much less committed to religious observance, according to scholar Ryan Burge. 

Today, 45% of Americans agree religion is “very important" in their lives, according to a  Gallup Poll. 

Among these numbers, research states Gen Z teenagers are more interested in learning about Jesus than in the past, particularly among men. 

Major movements, particularly social and political events in America, led many young people to question the idea of morality. 

“A lot of the young people want to define their lives and their purpose,” said Mahlobo. 

Mahlobo further explained that much of what Kotkin and he found is that young people are seeking something objective that is structured and contains morality. 

“From New Atheism” to “New Theism" and "Post-Secularism” touched on the early 2000s definition of New Atheism by figures such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, who spoke of religious affiliation as a dangerous delusion.

Statistics show that scientists under the age of 35 are more likely to attend religious services than the Baby Boomer cohort, and prominent figures such as Elon Musk are increasingly public about their embrace of Christianity. 

“Religions Reemergence and What it Means” explored the religious landscape from a worldview. According to a Pew Religious Landscape Study, the research found that Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans now account for less than 11% of the population. 

Along with this idea, Orthodox churches saw a 78% increase in converts at parishes in 2022, compared to 2019 levels. Judaism is seeing a shift toward reform while conservative synagogues are struggling; however, those of the Orthodox Judaism, particularly the thriving Chabad movement, have gained both members and influence.

The article went further into describing the religious crucible in Africa, in which Muslim and Christian individuals are on the rise, the one continent with a growing population and the most untapped economic potential, according to the authors.

To conclude the research with “An Incipient Religious Revival,” Mahlobo and Kotkin reflect how the resurgence of religion can bring potential conflicts, as seen in the Middle East, parts of Africa and now within America and Europe.

“There's this deep hunger for people to seek for something beyond that of humanity,” said Mahlobo.

Seeking to continue with their research, Kotkin and Mahlobo conclude that current society is searching for a purpose and finding it within religion, particularly among the highly educated.

“It doesn't matter fundamentally whether you're a Hindu, or a Zoroastrian, or a Christian or a Jew, it doesn't really make a difference in the sense that that means that your relationship to other people is shaped by a morality that you have been brought up with,” said Kotkin.