Something Is Happening … But Is It a Revival?
Every generation gets its revival story. In 1971, Time Magazine ran “The Jesus Revolution.” In 1998, the New York Times wondered if evangelicals were “on the threshold of a huge spiritual revival.” And in 2025, headlines screamed that Gen Z was flocking back to church, that young men were leading a religious resurgence, that Charlie Kirk’s death had sparked mass conversions. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy ask: Is any of it actually true? Spoiler alert: not really. We’re joined by Ryan Burge, political scientist and religion data aficionado, who brings receipts. Turns out Gen Z is the least religious generation in American history. There’s no male revival — just a female exodus. And, according to Burge, we’re not so much seeing a conservative surge as a hollowing out of moderates as churches polarize along political lines. But anecdotes remain and there does seem to be something going on in Christian America — even if we wouldn’t call it a revival. Guest: Ryan Burge is professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and …
