University of Denver Fall 2023

ways. People want their relation ships to add substance. They seek meaningful relationships with the clergy. They desire to be seen, known and heard for who they truly are,” he says. “People may shy away from specific aspects of religious affiliation, yet they desire to cultivate personal growth and transformation, enliven major life events and select holidays with vibrant celebrations, forge meaningful connections, and amplify life’s joys while receiving support through its challenges,” Knight adds. “And they want to be comfortable expressing doubts, which is embraced within our community.”

feel apprehensive about stepping through our doors,” he says. “There is a strong yearning for a sense of community—where people can learn, pray and enjoy life together. We have put significant effort into making our large congregation feel intimate by helping individuals discover their own tribe within the community.” Knight acknowledges that faith institutions in the U.S. tend to skew older, not because the institutions themselves are old, but because the people who can either afford or have the time to be involved are often older. “Many Americans are stretched thin financially,” says Knight. “As they work harder for less income,

being called to social justice when, to them, churches are essentially social spaces. “They’re not justice spaces. They grew up in these traditions for the social connection, for the community,” she says. But many young people, on the other hand, think congregations should be addressing social justice issues. “Young people are saying all these years, we’ve been giving money, we’ve been giving to charity, but nothing has really changed in our community.” This attitude appears to be supported by the PRRI survey, which found four in 10 (38%) of Americans aged 18-29 are religiously unaffiliated. Scott says what she sees, in general, is

their ability to engage with social and faith institutions is often compromised.” He’s concerned that if faith institutions shrink, so will support for social services. “In our county a signif icant portion of essential social services relies on the support of nonprofits and faith organizations,” he adds.

younger Americans are less trusting of institutions and more focused on social outcomes. “If people don’t

trust that religious congregations are

authentic and live their values, they won’t go into those spaces,” she says. But that doesn’t mean they are less moral, Scott says. “I see them being highly motivated and focused on how to care for folks and how to ensure that our words match actions.”

of Americans aged 18–29 are religiously unaffiliated

Knight has also seen a national decrease in synagogue participation over the years, although his congregation continues to grow. He says that faith organizations that are institutionally focused need to be more people focused to attract members. His synagogue, for example, has been doing this by developing smaller groups within the large congregation. “We count around a thousand households as part of our community, and we’ve noticed that individuals who were raised Jewish but have been away from synagogue life for a while often

“If these institutions falter due to lack of support, the repercussions for the broader society could be severe.” Associate Professor Andrea Stanton While attendance at houses of worship has decreased generally, the picture looks somewhat different for Muslims. According to a recent U.S. mosque survey, the percentage of Muslims who attended mosque for Eid prayers following Ramadan increased 16% between 2010 and 2020, and the number of mosques

Rabbi Asher Knight, Alumnus Asher Knight (BA ’01) is the senior rabbi at Temple

Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina. He believes there is a trend towards “meaning making,” and says that people want to add depth and meaning to their lives. “We’re seeing it in a variety of

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