Why More Americans Are Seeking Religion

From The New York [music] Times, I'm. Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. >> Across the country and here in South. Central [music] Pennsylvania, church. leaders say they're seeing a noticeable. shift. >> [music]. >> Gen Z is returning to faith, but in ways. you might not expect. Report. >> You're seeing the largest number of. converts in recent history. >> Young New Yorkers have a new hot spot. Sunday.

>> [music]. >> mass. >> We're learning that for the first time. in decades, faith in this [music]. country appears to be growing. >> After decades of declining church. attendance and a profound rise in. secularism. >> I was like, can I maybe go to a church. [music] service with you just to like. see what it's like? >> Religion is having a moment. >> [music]. >> in America. >> I think we do start to question like, why is this happening? >> Today, producer Astha Chaturvedi.

>> [music]. >> talks to our colleague, Lauren Jackson, about why more and more [music]. Americans are now choosing to believe. >> [music]. >> It's Tuesday, May 12th. >> Hey Lauren. >> Hi, how are you? >> I'm good. >> to see you in this space. >> Oh, uh yeah, let's see how fun it is. >> I love this angle. >> Um. >> [laughter]. >> It feels like so much of the. conversation about religion in the last.

few years and even The Daily's coverage. of religion has been about how. politicized it has become, especially on. the right. >> True. >> There was a recent face-off between the. Pope and the President, but I'm also. thinking about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, battles at the Southern Baptist. Convention over female pastors and IVF. Some of these episodes I've produced for. The Daily. But you haven't been reporting on. religion from that angle. Instead, you've been reporting on faith itself.

and how and why people in America. believe. And I want to understand how all of this. started for you and why you decided to. begin reporting on this now. >> Yeah, there have been so many stories in. the last few years of the ascendancy of. a very muscular conservative. Christianity and the ways in which that. is expressing itself in politics. I'm. interested in all of them, but I was. really interested in how most people in.

America wrestle with these really big. questions of religion and spirituality. and how they appear in their lives, their families, and communities. And as. I started to look into that, something. really dramatic emerged in my reporting, which was there is something hugely. significant happening sociologically and. demographically. within America when it comes to American. spirituality and religiosity. And that. is that we know people across the.

political spectrum, young and old, are expressing a renewed. interest. in spirituality and in religiosity. We've seen for the first time since Pew. Research has been gathering data on. religion that people have stopped. leaving churches. In essence, secularization is paused. >> So, it's not an uptick in churchgoing, but kind of a flattening out. >> Yeah, and that sounds like it's.

insignificant, it's just a pause, but. it's a really big moment for people's. personal relationships to religion and. spirituality. We know that in the early. '90s, 90% of American adults identified. as Christian, according to Pew. That number dropped basically over my. lifetime to be only about 2/3 of. Americans. It was called the Great. Dechurching. It was the largest and. fastest shift in American religiosity on. record. And some people estimate that 40.

million people left American churches. So, what demographers and sociologists. had said for years was going to be the. definitive decline of religiosity in. America. That has stopped. It has paused. over the past 5 years. And we actually. got some new data in the last few weeks. and months that really made this picture. even more interesting. >> How so? >> We had expected that every cohort coming. up, so every new group of young adults, would be less religious than their.

parents or their grandparents. But Pew. published a report that shows, if you. actually look at the youngest group of. Americans, so 18-23 year olds, there are signs that that group is even. more likely, and it's slight, but it's. it's more likely to attend religious. services at least once a month than. those just older than them. >> Mhm. >> Wow. >> separately, we got a new survey from. Gallup that found a sharp rise in the. share of men under 30 who say that. religion is, quote, very important to.

them. It went from 28% in 2023 to 42% in. 2025. >> That's a huge jump. >> It is. And it was surprising as well. because historically we've seen that. young women tend to be more religious. than young men. That's changing. >> So, a lot of numbers pointing in a. similar direction. How should we be. looking at them in aggregate? How are. you seeing this moment? >> It's a really good question, and it's. one that has sparked a lot of debate. both in the pages of the New York Times.

and also in the people I'm speaking to. on the religion beat. You know, plenty. of people have declared this a revival. That's a strong word, and plenty of. other people have said that is very. premature and potentially erroneous. But what we do know is that this trend. continues. So, in 2025, the. non-religious share of the American. population declined yet again. And the number of atheists and agnostics. is back down to the levels we saw in. 2014. That's close to 15 years ago.

>> Wow. >> We do have signs that this shift is. happening more on the right, particularly among young men. But we're also seeing this across the. political spectrum. And if you take a. step back, this is not just about. Christianity, it's about all other major. religions as well. >> Mhm. >> So, the main takeaway is that the story. of faith and religion and belief in this. country is really at an inflection. point. >> And as I said, you've been examining. what's been driving all of this. You've.

been talking to people about what they. believe and why they believe it. I can imagine that these conversations. are quite intimate. >> I often say I feel like I'm. part reporter, part therapist, cuz it. [laughter] takes. um a lot of attention and a lot of time. to attend to these stories. They're so. intimate, they're so personal. And it's. also personal for me. My life, in a way, mirrors the shifts we've been seeing in. Americans' attitudes toward religion and. also their religious practices over the.

past three decades. >> Could you tell me a little bit about. your journey? >> I was raised in a very, very. conservative and very religious place. I. was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. I was raised a devout Mormon or member. of the Church [music] of Jesus Christ of. Latter-day Saints. And my family was. really practicing. When I was, you know, a little girl, I. used to write and send articles to the. church magazines because my dream job. was to work as a writer for the church.

magazines. >> Wow. >> In high school, I had a 6:00 a.m. Bible. study that I attended every day before. school. >> That's early. >> 6:00 Yeah. >> Oh my gosh. >> Um I was always late. I was always late. I mean, I it's astonishing that I didn't. crash on the freeway every day when I. was just careening down the highway to. get there on time cuz if I didn't. graduate from this seminary class, I. couldn't attend the big. >> [music]. >> church university called Brigham Young. University. So I had to make it. >> Mhm.

>> I was expected to attend and I expected. myself for my whole life to attend, find. someone to marry, have children and raise them in the. church. So it was [music] an extraordinary shift. when I decided to attend a secular. university. >> Was that a big deal in your family? >> It was a huge deal. I had a guidance. counselor who nudged me and nudged me. and nudged me and finally I relented and. decided to apply for a scholarship and.

when I got it, I was really surprised by. how moved I was by the environment, how. much I thought I wanted to learn in that. space. And so ultimately I decided to. go, but I was terrified. And that was a really, really hard. transition for me. It was. extraordinarily difficult for me to not. only leave that community, but begin to. [music]. challenge. a faith and an ideology that was really.

comprehensive. >> What did that look like? >> The first week I was there, I fell in. love with someone who was not a member. of my faith. >> [music]. >> and. it's a know, very common rupture for a. lot of people who then have to begin. [music] to question. what it is they believe in and how they. can negotiate the boundaries of that. >> Because the way you were raised, it was. like, yeah, you were meant to be with. someone from the same faith. >> Absolutely. [music]. I also encountered ideas, you know, I.

in a political science class read Isaiah. Berlin on pluralism, the idea that. >> [music]. >> many truths and realities are equally. valid and worthy of consideration. [music] and examination. And that really cracked my world open. That idea, that concept, that there was. not one true church, there could be many. possible truths. And for [music] me personally, that you. know, was the beginning of a huge. reckoning, [music] one that continued as. I attended graduate school abroad.

And. at the age of 25, I ultimately formally. [music] left the church. >> How does that affect your relationship. with your family, given how you were. raised? >> I mean, of course, if a parent truly and deeply. believes that a religion is is true and. is the best path to follow, and they.

desperately love their child, they're. going to want their child to follow it. So, it was an, you know, an exercise in. empathy and trying to understand and. really accept my parents' perspective, while also holding my own. >> gospel, too. And as you do. >> Mom, I I need you to know that I am. grateful for the many positive things. and many ways that being Mormon has. brought me. I'm no longer choosing to be Mormon.

>> Okay, that sounds good to you. But what you're pushing back is this. flow of happiness, joy, inspiration. >> conversations. But I knew even then that these were. really important moments in my life, and that I wanted to remember them. accurately. So, I recorded them. I'm. telling you right now, it's not a healthy institution for me. and many, many, many people. I do not. want to participate, and that is the.

healthiest choice for me, for many. reasons. I'm asking you to honor that as my mom. I was desperately wanting my parents to. not only understand, [music]. but also to approve of the life choices. that I'd made in leaving my faith. >> Okay, I'm just asking if we could I. never got any chance to talk to you. about it. >> But it's not. it's not a. it's not up for debate, okay? It's not. up for It's not a It's not a debate. >> I guess the thing is that. >> And frankly, that's not something my. parents were willing to offer because.

they deeply believe in. the worldview and the faith that they. believe in and that they were raised in. and that they live every day. >> I think if you put that over [music]. here and you had ever experienced. feeling the Holy Spirit, then you would get. what I'm talking about. But if you don't. have. like room in your heart to just try and. listen, then. >> And so, they want me to participate in that. I. love you. Love to you looks like being.

exceptionally perceptive. They felt like my rejection of that. faith was a rejection of them. And that led to a good amount of. conflict. >> know. I guess if there was a sunset, sometimes you say to somebody, "Come see. the sunset cuz you get excited." And. that's all, you know? You can make it sound. so. demeaning, but it's like a sunset to me. It's like.

Wait a second. Let's not go look at. the bush, let's look at the sunset. That's how I feel like. Okay, I've got a different view of the. sunset. I've got my own sunset. It's pretty. great. >> [music]. >> So, you were on a different path, a part. of this great de-churching, what did faith look like to you at that.

point? >> I mean, yeah, yeah, I stopped going to. church, but I didn't stop searching for. answers to the big life questions that. plague us all. And that made me like most Americans. Almost everyone believes in something, whether that's religious or not. The. most recent Pew survey said that 92% of. Americans say that they believe in a. god, spirits, souls, or an afterlife. But only 30% of Americans actually. attend a house of worship weekly.

So, like most Americans, I found meaning. outside of religion. >> Mhm. >> I threw myself into work. I did what I'd. always wanted to do, which was be a. journalist. I was really motivated by. the mission of The New York Times. I. worked all the time, all the time. I also worked out as much as possible in. my off time. I hiked, I went to workout. classes, SoulCycle, CrossFit. These expensive workout classes that. promised not just a healthier body, but. also a better life. >> Mhm.

>> I never got into astrology, but I. understood why so many people, especially young women, had downloaded. Co-Star, the astrology app. >> I've had so many conversations over the. years about astrology and about Mercury. >> Yeah, Mercury seems to always be in. retrograde, but I get it. It helps. explain the messiness of life. It. promises that there's some sort of. cosmic alchemy to the chaos, and who. doesn't want that? >> Mhm. >> And the more I spoke to people, the more. I traveled, I couldn't shake a really. ingrained worldview that I had, which.

was one in which I saw belief and. spirituality, I saw it everywhere. >> The people in power are obviously scared. of the truth. [music]. Yet, no matter how hard they try, they. cannot escape from it. >> You know, standing at a climate rally. with Greta Thunberg on stage at COP in. Glasgow, there was a reverence in the. crowd. >> This is what leadership looks like. >> [music]. [cheering].

>> A desire for deliverance in the crowd. that felt distinctly religious to me. I saw it in the intensity [music]. of how people. gravitated to social justice and campus. activism movements where like you had. [music] a sense of what was right and. wrong. I felt it at the Eras Tour.

>> [screaming]. >> What are people feeling if not an. extraordinary ecstatic form [music] of. communal gathering rarely found outside. of religious spaces? [music]. >> [music]. >> So while we had all this data that. millions of people had left American. religion, it was still so clear to me that people. were looking for an outlet [music] for. their beliefs. And then came the Pew report.

And that data seemed to show that some. people were reconsidering religion or. houses of worship as a place they could. turn to explore [music] those beliefs. And so I started to talk to them to try. to figure out why. >> We'll be right back. >> Even though I did attend Catholic school. all through elementary and middle. school, I felt like I was going through the.

motions. I didn't really have a strong. faith of my own. >> My parents, they were just like religion. is dumb. Like why would you believe. that? Like I remember I was really. little and I was like, "Oh, like what. happens after you die?" And they were. like, "Nothing.". You die. >> [music]. >> So Lauren, what did people tell you. about what they were looking for and why. it led them to religion or back to. religion? >> Everyone has their own story and it's. tough to make generalizations. But as I talked [music].

to hundreds of people across the. country, a few themes did start to. emerge. >> So I started college in my freshman. years when the pandemic happened and. [music]. suddenly we were like inside all the. time and like I wasn't interacting with. that many people and I just like became. very depressed which was like a big. change for me. Like that was never. something. >> I think the biggest one that came up. again and again is that the pandemic was. a moment of extraordinary rupture in. American life. >> Right at the beginning of COVID, my. nana, she had lost her husband and her. oldest daughter just died. Like she was.

standing there with a smile on her face. praising God and for me that was like. damn, I want that. >> When we look at the Pew data, the moment. that we start to see secularization. level off or pause. is just about the exact same moment that. the pandemic started. >> I'm looking at this and I'm like life is. full of so much uncertainty and I wish I. had like. some. way like mentally [music]. to like deal with that.

>> People were forced to contend with their. own mortality and look hard at the. questions that they had about how they. were living and if it was working for. them. >> And a lot of people decided that it. wasn't working for them. >> It wasn't. >> Just the work that I'm doing. Like it. just feels like a lot of like corporate. [music]. Like I think my parents generation had a. much stronger belief that like [music]. work is good and like by working you are.

making the world a better place. But. like my generation like a lot of us do. not feel that way. A lot of us see our. jobs as just a job. We don't see it as. an outlet for. like making meaning. >> The community piece, I think, is the. piece that [music]. still aches, you know? Um. >> I think many people have realized, especially in the last few years, that they really don't have the [music]. depth of community that they long for in.

their lives. >> We all live in these separate nuclear. homes with our nuclear families, and we. think this is like the pinnacle of. >> [music]. >> first world country success, but the. huge con of that is we're isolated. >> I've been like, where's community? All. my old undergrad friends have left, or. like they're all just like in their own. little buckets, you know what I mean? Like everyone's separate. >> me, even though I left the church, I. feel. a pain I don't really know how to.

describe. I think. >> I've had this like really strong desire. to like host barbecues like in my. apartment complex. I've like felt like I. could will a community into existence, you know what I mean? Just like through. sheer personality. I could just like. invite a ton of people and host like a. big party, but I just like it's been 8. months now and I like haven't made a. move, you know what I mean? >> When things go wrong, when. >> [music]. >> they get sick, when something really. hard happens, many people I talk to. [music] are looking for connection and. community that they're just not finding.

>> [music]. >> in comments online. They want a meal. train, they want to give and receive. really tactile, meaningful care. And they're looking for spaces that can. offer that. >> In coming back to religion, realizing that the High Holidays offers. a good structure for thinking about. the way I live my life, especially in. relationship. And I think the secular world doesn't.

have a good. There's no Hallmark card for an I'm. sorry day. And you can't give her a flower or a. back scratch. And [clears throat]. I and I think many people. feel lost without having to be. accountable for something. I mean, I. think. you know, guilt gets a bad rap, but I. feel guilty if I don't do that process. concerning your keeper. >> And many people have said they're. reassessing the value of religion with. all of its built-in community, ritual, and set of existential and spiritual.

answers. >> [music]. >> to the meaning and purpose of life. They're revisiting that whole package in. the process, even if that [music] comes. with the baggage of what are sometimes. deeply flawed institutions. >> I've been to my church I've been to my. church. four times since being home in the last. like 7 or 8 months. And every time. pretty cathartic. And I go. these are my values. Like right in front. of me. I'm like, this is who I am and I. miss it and I want it, but I'm like. I don't know like.

I really want it to be me that's. stepping into it and. it's just a big leap and it also. >> I would love to find a way to. have what I had then without. compromising who I feel I am. I couldn't do it then and I don't I. don't know where to do it now. >> Like I still want more. Like I still. want something to believe in. >> So in addition to the pandemic and this.

widespread sense of dissatisfaction, there's another theme that has really. stuck out to me and it comes back to our. politics. We all know that Trumpism has injected a. renewed energy and even sense of. ascendancy into conservative. Christianity over the past decade. But what surprised me was I started. talking to and hearing from more and. more people on the left who said that. this political moment had also sparked a. renewed interest in their own faith. >> Hey, how are you? >> Hey, I'm doing well. Is now still a good. time?

>> Yeah. Um. >> And there's one person I spoke to who. really stood out to me and his name was. Nick Woomer Dietrick. >> We attended mass reg- you know, regularly, but I think they were going. more because that's just what. upperly mobile suburban professionals. did, you [clears throat] know, late. '80s, early '90s, right? And so. >> He's 46 years old. He's from North. Carolina and for much of his childhood. was a Catholic, but his family wasn't. particularly devout. >> At that period of time in the church. like the the catechesis.

of children was particularly just bad. >> Around the time he entered high school, the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal. was really at the height of its. visibility in public life. >> And so by ninth grade I was done with it. and I'm like. >> So, he said he really did not want to go. to church anymore. >> I don't believe in God. It's all. >> He fought with his parents and he'd kind. of pitched this personal crusade against. it. >> And I became so insufferable I think.

that my parents were just like, "We've. lost this this battle. and we stopped going to church.". >> Yeah, okay. >> So, as an undergraduate I was as big. left-wing student activist. and you know, >> He turned to schools, to his workplace, to a meaningful job as a public defender. for a sense of purpose in his life. >> And just by happenstance I ended up. marrying. a woman who was much more devout than I. was, more of a.

left-wing Catholic, but through the. process of our courtship. I convinced her that she should leave. and so. I would say I was actively hostile to. it. >> Yeah. >> For for for decades. >> Yeah. Then something shifted for him. when Trump was elected in 2016. >> You know, I had to like kind of come. back and be like, like what the hell. happened? And try to understand like who are these. people who voted for him.

And I did a lot of things, you know, like kind of self-reflection on. why half of America hates the Democrats. and and and people like me. >> What shifted? What changed for him? >> One, he didn't see the election results. coming. And it really upended some key. assumptions for him. about where he thought the country was. headed. >> You know, so I started to read some of. these guys who are right-wing kind of. influencers, people like just go to some. Twitter accounts and everything.

And. I guess what I realized is it's like. that kind of really nasty kind of. godless I think those some of those guys. are just so profoundly evil to me. They've got. you know, what they call race realism. stuff and it's like. >> He also found himself disturbed by the. tenor of the discussion and the. discourse around politics, social and. cultural issues online. >> And it's like, you know, basically you. need to have solidarity with people who.

are like you. And of course that just. happens to be. white people or whatever and it scared. [music] the out of me. Ross Douthat had some blog posts once. where he's like, "If you hated. [clears throat] the religious right, you're really going to hate the. irreligious right.". >> And he thinks really deeply about the. best way to counter what he sees as a. kind of toxicity. >> And it kind of made me realize that. without having a transcendent. ideology that's universalistic.

and grounded in. something common for all of humanity, we inevitably fall into this kind of us. against them. world and. that just seems very poisonous to me. So, the alternative to that. is, you know, a universalistic. religion where all, you know, equal, we're all created in the image of God. And so, that's what I felt like I. needed. >> [music].

>> So, to answer the despair that Nick has. been feeling about American politics, he's starting to turn to faith. This. thing that he's been openly hostile to. for so long. What does that look like? Well, he takes. steps slowly at first in the middle of. the night, in secret. And because he was. too embarrassed to admit he was going. down these rabbit holes, he found. himself watching religious videos online. alone. >> Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and. this is Ascension Presents. So, a little. while back.

>> I think I remember reading. in the Times it was like an interview. with this priest named Mike Schmitz from. Minneapolis. He's got all these. popular Catholic podcast, and he makes. YouTube videos every week. >> One of the things I hate. one of the things you probably hate is. like when we find weakness in ourselves, or when we just find ourselves like. powerless. >> [music]. >> to do what we want to do, you know? >> where. >> And so, I started. >> [music]. >> watching some of his videos, and I was. just keep watching them.

You know, like, "Oh, well, what's this. saying, right?". >> And one of the things that God wants for. us [music] and with us more than. anything else is he wants to be in. relationship with us. And he wants us to. be in relationship with other people. >> And I'd watch him, and I'm like, "Okay, this is a good thing.". >> terrible. >> Nothing we can do [music] can fully. break any kind of relationship with God. >> We're. >> I've spoken to quite a few people who. point to Father Schmitz as someone very. accessible for them [music] in. re-examining the merits of a religious. life. >> And so, he was kind of like my gateway.

>> [music]. >> Yeah. >> into it. >> You have freedom. You have power. You can start living that freedom and. start living that power today. >> [music]. >> And it was it was like my secret my. dirty secret, right? Like. like. left his political commitments, which. included like a heavy dose of. atheism, and it was such a central part. of like my persona. >> Mhm. >> Then I I was like ashamed to admit that.

I was. doing this. >> Yeah. Finally, he comes to the sense. that he wants to reconnect in some way. to a faith community. >> Eventually, last April, Easter came and. went. And I just We didn't do anything. We. didn't mark it cuz we weren't Christian. I just. I just felt really bad like that we. hadn't. We're just hanging out, right? The. the utter lack of spiritual significance. of this it just felt.

icky to me. >> Mhm. >> And so. I was sitting in my office. I've been. thinking about emailing the diocese and. being like, "What do I do?". But I always just put it off. And then I. just went I I snapped. I emailed them. and I said, >> Mhm. >> "I want to do a general. confession, which is like. >> actually contacts a church. And he's. talking to a priest, and he says, "Hey, I'm open to coming back, but I have a. block.". >> a real hard time just.

getting to the. believing in God.". >> Mhm. And the block is, "I don't believe. in God.". And that feels like a pretty significant. problem when it comes to living a. religious life or living a Catholic. life. >> And he said, "Well, here's what you do. Just start reading. the Gospels." And I said, "Well, no, I've read all those, right?" And he's. like, "No." He's like, "You know, you. have to read them. like with an open heart as if this is. giving you some sort of spiritual.

insight, not as a an academic exercise.". >> Mhm. >> I said, "Okay. All right." And he's. like, "And then you have to start coming. to mass. You just have to do it. Just. dive in.". >> [music]. >> So, what did he do? >> He did what the priest said, and he. continued to try. >> So, I go on Amazon, I order a Catholic. Bible. I still told like nobody about. this at all. >> Huh. >> It took me like a week and a half. I had. to tell my wife. I was like, "Guess what. I did last Friday?" She was like,

"What?" I said, "I met with a priest.". >> [music]. >> And she goes, "Why?". >> Hm. >> That's weird. And so, that was an awkward. conversation. >> He buys a Bible, and he starts going to. church, >> [music]. >> but he does all of this very quietly. And how do you account for his impulse. to keep it all a secret? Is it just as. simple as not wanting to come off as a. hypocrite to his family? I think potentially in part. He said as. much. >> When I was when I was definitely going. in that I mean, it was kind of a weird. thing. >> Hm.

>> Because it was hard. It was hard to. admit that I'd. just. screwed up. You know, like you just feel like you go. from [music] being so excited about one. thing and then doing a 180. >> Hm. >> And that's a little bit. you you feel a little bit silly. >> Yeah. >> You know, he had spent much of his life. making an intellectual argument against. the church, that there was no value in. prayer or church attendance on Sunday, but what really mattered instead were. political commitments to progressive. causes that he felt would reform. society.

>> Two years ago I'd say, "Well, what we. need to do is change structures, right? So, what we really need to do is, you know, take over the state, you know, and and. create a safety net or whatever, you. know, like we need to have state power. so that we can fix these problems. It's. not your job as an individual on the. fact of the. >> And here he was reevaluating all of. that. >> But, to ignore the individual component. and your individual ethical. responsibility. is really wrong. >> Hm. >> I think. And so, Christianity also it it. gives you kind of a broader vision, but.

it's, you know, again, it's a it's a. very personal. >> Hm. >> thing, too. I mean, you know, >> You know, as flawed as Nick thought the. church is and as much as he rebelled. against it, he started to see Christianity as. something that he thought could make the. world just a little bit better. >> Like, you know what? Like, this worked. really well for a long period of time. And we're in this moment after say this. post-war era where you've had all these. great innovations and I think we're. starting to realize that it doesn't seem. very durable anymore. Yeah. You know,

Marxism doesn't tell you a whole lot. about what you should do with your life. Christianity does. >> Yeah. >> [music]. >> And this reconciliation of his past. worldview with a new one, it wasn't. easy, but he did keep trying. >> I just, you know, I like the I like the. the the the smells and the bells and the. aesthetics of it. You know, it's the. religion of half my ancestors. >> And in the process, he found something. that was really meaningful to him.

>> By going through the motions. and kind of absorbing. >> [music]. >> and reading sacred scripture and with a. different attitude, I feel like I I have. a faith, like a genuine faith. >> Mhm. >> in God now. >> Lauren, Nick's conversion seems very.

powerful. But just because people believe in. something doesn't necessarily guarantee. that they'll suddenly rush to church or. to the mosque or to the synagogue or. temple. We are now only seeing the. numbers level off and while that's. significant as you've said, it's not. definitive or predictive, right? There's. no guarantee that we're going to see a. great rebound in people returning to. some established religion. >> Of course, and I want to be very clear. We are not seeing a revival of.

religiosity. What I am hearing about is a renewed. interest or a new renewed curiosity in. religion. For example, even chaplains at Harvard. tell me that in the last 25 years, they. haven't seen this much interest in. religion on campus. >> Mhm. >> We're also seeing religious references. appear more frequently throughout. American life, and I think that's most. visible at the very top of the Trump. administration. You think about J.D. Vance, who's been. very public about his conversion to. Catholicism in recent years. He's.

publishing a book on the subject soon. >> Right. >> Think about Pete Hegseth, Secretary of. War, who is invoking Christianity in. speaking publicly about the war in Iran. >> Mhm. >> So, it's a big part of the Trump. administration, but it's become a bigger. part of our politics in general. >> There are 11 days remaining until. election day. I will be a Muslim man in New York City. each of those 11 days, and every day. that follows after that. >> In New York, for example, Mayor Eric L. Adams has been very frontal and open, and he has been throughout his campaign,

about his Islamic faith. >> is the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon. him, was a stranger, too, who fled Mecca and was welcomed in. Medina. >> He's now in office hosting iftars during. Ramadan, and he's praying in public. >> Many think of this month solely as the. time where we fast from sunup to. sundown. And yet, for me, and if I know for so. many of you, it is a month where we also get to. reflect on who we are. >> That's new, you know, for a long time, I. think since 2001, really, that would.

have been seen as a liability. >> Religion is not just about other people. who lived a long time ago. Religion is about us. in the here and now. >> And then, you know, if you look to the. south, look at Texas State. Representative James Talarico, who. obviously has been in the news a lot. He's won the Democratic primary for a. Texas Senate seat. >> Christian nationalists. walk around with a mouthful of scripture. and a heartful of hate. >> He's been talking about the Christian. gospel as a way to combat the rise of. what he derides as Christian.

nationalism. And he's really encouraging voters to. see Christianity as the foundation for a. more compassionate form of economic. populism. >> What would Jesus do about a tax system. that benefits the rich over the poor? >> You know, he's a seminarian. He really. knows the Bible and he's really quoting. it in a way that we haven't seen in a. long time from a candidate in the. Democratic Party. >> Right, it was so interesting to see. Taller Eko. [music]. >> All right, James. I'm doing well. How. are you?

>> kind of school. Joe Rogan a few months ago about. Christianity. >> It's always um. interesting to see a person who is a. Christian who is uh not for the Ten. Commandments in schools. >> Yeah. In all of Jesus' teachings, he's. always focused on the outsider, the. outcast, the person who's left out, the. person who's different. >> And in general, to see. all these young political leaders pushed. to counter the dominance around.

conversations. that we've seen so long on the political. right. >> Yeah, exactly. And beyond politics. >> The Pope is dead. >> [music]. >> The throne. is vacant. >> We're also seeing this in Hollywood. Did. you know there's a rabbi here? >> No. >> Yeah. >> Where? >> He has a beard and he was definitely. judging me. >> Sounds like a rabbi. >> And in pop music, I'm thinking. especially of Justin Bieber and of. Rosalía. >> [music]. >> who has a new album out called Lux,

which was released to high critical. acclaim. It's all about faith, [music]. hers and others. And on it, she even. says in one of the songs that she's hot. for God. >> [music]. >> Wow, if that doesn't make God cool, then. I don't know what does. Um. >> Rosalía is very cool. >> [laughter]. >> Um but what about you, Lauren? I'm. curious if any of this has led. to you rethinking your position on faith.

and established religion. >> That's a big question. Um, the short answer is I I'm not. religious. I do not attend a house of. worship. I have not gone back to the faith of my. family and my childhood. >> Mhm. >> You know, I still pray. I don't know. what or whom I'm praying to. But the the. fact that my job explores these issues. has given me the chance to really. examine and to think [clears throat]. deeply about the ideas that I grew up.

with. >> Mhm. >> And in a way it's brought me closer to. my parents. >> I think we need [music] to. talk about some of the articles more cuz. >> Each week I write a newsletter called. Believing. And every Sunday whatever I write. becomes something for us to talk about. >> the documenting [music]. is a job, but your heart. and your soul are always, [music] you. know, precious to me and and.

>> And while we still don't see eye to eye, >> I think I've heard from you and Dad. saying you see this as [music] part of. my, in your view, mission on this earth, which is flattering cuz I know that. comes from a really meaningful place for. you. I think I see it differently. I'm a. journalist and. >> we have found a way to connect again. >> [music]. >> about something that for a long time. really drove us apart. >> I love you. >> Love you. Get better. >> Okay. Thanks, Mom. Bye. >> Bye.

Lauren, thank you so much. >> Thank you so much. I've had so much fun. [music]. in this conversation. >> We'll be right [music] back. >> [music]. >> Here's what else you need to know today.

On Monday, President Trump mocked Iran's. response [music] to his latest peace. proposal as unserious and said it had. imperiled the ceasefire between the two. countries. >> For the time being, the ceasefire. remains in place. >> No, it's. unbelievably weak, I would say. I would. call it the weakest. >> [music]. >> right now. after reading the piece of garbage they. sent us. I didn't even finish. >> Iran called its [music] response, quote, generous and responsible, a description.

that Trump flatly [music]. rejected. >> I would say the ceasefire is on massive. life support where the doctor walks in. and says. "Sir, your loved one has approximately a. 1% chance. of living.". >> Yeah. >> [music]. >> This is real. >> And. Democrats in Virginia are appealing to. the US Supreme Court to save a new. congressional map approved by voters. that was thrown out last week [music] by. a state court. It's a last-ditch attempt to preserve a.

redistricting plan that created four new. Democratic-leaning [music]. House districts before the midterm. elections. In its surprise decision, the state. court ruled [music] that the. redistricting process violated. Virginia's constitution. Because the [music] case revolves around. state law, it's unclear if the Supreme. Court will agree to hear the appeal.

Today's episode was produced by [music]. Auster Chaturvedi. It was edited by. Michael Benoît. and contains original music by Marion. Lozano, [music]. Dan Powell, and Alicia Victoria. Our theme music [music] is by Wonderly. This episode was engineered by Alyssa. Moxley. Special thanks to Rachel Quester, Nick. Pitman, Chris Wood, Kyle [music]. Grindell, and Sophia Lim.

>> [music]. >> That's it for The Daily. I'm Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow. >> [music].