Researchers explore potential link between religious belief and happiness levels
In a five-year study led by Tyler J. VanderWeele and Byron Johnson, known as the Global Flourishing Study, over 200,000 participants from 22 countries are delving into the link between flourishing and religion. The findings, while still unfolding, have already shed light on some intriguing trends.
On one side of the globe, the United States is experiencing a significant decline in Christian affiliation. According to projections by the Pew Research Center, if current trends continue, Christians will comprise less than half the population by 2070, with estimates ranging between 35% and 46% of Americans identifying as Christian by then. This decline is primarily due to people leaving Christianity for no religious affiliation rather than switching to other religions.
The U.S. is witnessing growing religious pluralism and less religious consensus in social networks, which is impacting how younger generations adopt religious beliefs. Interreligious marriages and more diverse social environments contribute to this trend. Among the groups with the sharpest declines in the U.S. are Catholics.
Contrasting the U.S., the Global South is experiencing growth or stability in Christian populations, particularly Pentecostalism. Regions such as Africa, Latin America, and possibly Asia are seeing an increase in religious adherents. Pentecostal Christianity is one of the fastest-growing movements worldwide due to conversions mainly in these regions.
In South Asia, a region with deep religious diversity and large populations of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and Christians, religious populations are substantial and growing broadly with the overall population. Hinduism and Islam dominate numerically, and the region accounts for about one-third of the world's Muslims. Changes here will mostly reflect broader demographic growth rather than sharp religious declines or switching.
This contrast illustrates a shift where Western nations experience religious decline or secularization trends, while non-Western countries maintain or expand religious populations due to demographic and cultural factors.
Meanwhile, the Global Flourishing Study has found that people who consider religion important in their daily life have an average flourishing score 0.23 points higher, and those who attend religious services at least weekly have a score 0.41 points higher. The study is also examining whether participating in religious services as a child impacts later happiness.
Researchers such as Byron Johnson from Baylor University suggest that focusing on others, a principle taught by most religious traditions, improves one's own life, health, and flourishing. Participation in organized religious services has been found to correlate with self-reported happiness in many cases, regardless of the specific faith.
In the U.S., the decline in religious engagement could potentially lead to declines in social and personal well-being, as suggested by the Pew Research Center study. However, the social support provided by religious communities and their offer of meaning, purpose, and consolation are key to their impact on happiness, according to the Harvard Human Flourishing Program's associate director, Brendan Case.
For instance, at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, chaplain Rev. George Williams leads Catholic masses for about 200 incarcerated men on Sundays and offers pastoral support during the week. Sharing his faith with inmates at San Quentin has been a source of joy for Rev. Williams.
In Northern California, Kelli Fleitas, a middle-aged mother, attributes her sense of transcendence to singing in church, which she considers an active form of prayer. On a recent Sunday at St. John's Episcopal Church, Fleitas and others stood in a circle beneath colored lights, offering prayers and expressing gratitude for their religious experiences.
As the Global Flourishing Study continues, it will be interesting to see how these trends evolve and what further insights they reveal about the complex relationship between religion, happiness, and flourishing.
- The study on global flourishing has uncovered that nature, mental health, health-and-wellness, and health certainly play a significant role in the lives of those who consider religion important, as those who attend religious services at least weekly have a higher flourishing score by an average of 0.41 points.
- While the United States experiences a decline in Christian affiliation, other regions like South Asia, known for its deep religious diversity, are witnessing broad growth across multiple religious populations. This divergence in religious trends could potentially impact both the mental health and overall health of communities.
- In line with the principle taught by various religious traditions, focusing on serving others has been associated with improvements in one's personal life, health, and overall well-being, as shown by the science behind the Global Flourishing Study. However, departing from these religious practices might raise concerns about potential declines in social and personal well-being, as observed in the Pew Research Center study of the United States.
