Secular Protestantism is America's Religion

by Daniel Hummel

Nearly everyone agrees that American Protestantism is in crisis. Once comprising a supermajority in the country that lasted for centuries, Protestants now count less than 40% of Americans as adherents. Many exiting Protestants are part of the nearly 30% of Americans—especially younger ones—who now identify with no religion (the “nones”). Explanations of declining American Protestant fortunes span a broad range in our contemporary moment, from a renewed version of the classic secularization thesis that religion goes private in scientific and pluralistic societies, to the increasing religious pluralism through immigration and the growth of non-Protestant religious communities, to a Charles Taylor-esque focus on the immanent frame and buffered selves, to sociologist Christian Smith’s most recent book on the obsolescence of religion starting essentially with the Millennial generation.

Of course, Protestants aren’t going anywhere in an absolute sense. Both “professional Protestants” (pastor…