We all know the story of the “nones,” and the dire statistics about the decline of religious affiliation among young people. But these data hardly tell the whole story.  

On this episode, managing editor Katie Daniels speaks with Ellen Koneck, herself a former Commonweal staffer and now head writer and editor at Springtide Research Institute. Their new report, The State of Religion & Young People 2020, invites us to think differently about the religious practices and aspirations of Gen Z.

Sure, young people are skeptical of institutions and have lower levels of trust in traditional kinds of authority. But they’re also more open than ever to relationships that offer wisdom and support—and that’s exactly where religious leaders can meet them.

For further reading:

-Further Adrift, Peter Steinfels
-Finding Our Way, Ellen Koneck
-Under Pressure, John Thornton, Jr.