Editor’s note: *This story contains an anonymous source to protect the individual’s privacy.
Christianity among Americans is dwindling and Pepperdine faculty members are seeing the effects themselves despite the University’s Church of Christ roots.
Religion and Philosophy Professor Rachel Collins and Falon Barton, University Church of Christ campus minister, are investigating why students, who used to associate with the Christian faith, are no longer showing interest in religion.
“This is not unique to Pepperdine,” Collins said. “It’s happening everywhere.”
The Pew Research Center (PRC) reported in 2022, a gradual decline in U.S. religious composition beginning in the 1990s. PRC said 90% of Americans in the 1990s, identified as Christian and 9% identified as religiously unaffiliated.
In 2022, Americans who identified themselves as religiously unaffiliated jumped from the previous 9% to 29%, according to PRC.
The Survey
Collins said she is trying to understand why students are making the decision to no longer associate with Christianity. Collins framed her research question as “Why are the dones, done?”
The purpose of the survey is not to try and persuade students to come back, Collins said. Results from the survey will be used to inform educators on the reasons behind decreased religious affiliation.
College is a time when students encounter new ideas and concepts, which naturally spark questions around belief systems they were raised with, Collins said. Students will have a roommate or a classmate who poses a question, maybe they never thought about before and they wrestle with it, she said. College is a period of exploring new ideas, Collins said.
“College really shakes up a lot of maybe what you thought you had kind of organized in order and had figured out in your mind,” Collins said.
An anonymous source grew up in a religious household, they said. They described their mother as “hardcore” when it comes to religion and their dad is more on the “chill” side.
The anonymous source said they considered themself Christian until high school, when they began to have a lot of questions regarding Christianity and the world.
When they were in high school, they volunteered with a faith-based organization that was a part of the foster-care system. As they spent time with the children and heard their stories, they said they couldn’t wrap their minds around what had happened to the kids, let alone justify it.
“Couldn’t get my brain around that an all powerful God could have made it not that way,” the anonymous source said.
There’s a potential problem when the church, as an institution, cannot accommodate those questions being raised by students, Collins said.
“I think it just pushes them away.” Collins said.
The National Trend Experienced at Pepperdine
Collins said her goal is to come into the survey without preconceived ideas. She’s being intentional about having an open mind, she said. An open mind can hold space for students and hopefully gain a better understanding of the change sweeping the nation, Collins said.
Al Sturgeon, associate dean for student life and spiritual development at the Caruso School of Law, said he’s seen the same national trend reflected at Pepperdine.
Prior to his position, Sturgeon was the preaching minister for 12 years at two Churches of Christ: the University Church of Christ in Malibu, California and Ocean Springs Church of Christ in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, according to Pepperdine’s website. As a minister, many students approached him with questions regarding their faith, Sturgeon said.
“College is a real time of learning to be independent and make your own choices,” Sturgeon said.
PCR reports some reasons for people’s dissociation with Christianity to include liberals being driven away by many churches’ conservative political views, the declining trust in institutions and clergy scandals, according to PCR.
The anonymous source attributes the rise in religious disassociation with the current generation growing up with the internet, they said. Before, religion was passed down from parents to children. Now, with the internet people have access to learning about a variety of other faiths, the anonymous source said.
“There’s more exposure to those diverse faiths,” the anonymous source said.
Collins‘ Interest in Conducting the Religiously Unaffiliated Survey
Collins’ interest in the research survey came from her time as Pepperdine University’s associate chaplain. She said through her conversations with students, she noticed more of them expressing their disinterest in church.
Students would say to Collins they consider themselves a person of faith, but they don’t want to be associated with a church anymore, Collins said.
Collins became a faculty member spring of 2023, when she noticed the same trends in her classroom, she said. Collins assigns a “spiritual autobiography” to each of her classes. The assignment entails students to write a two-three page essay on their spiritual journey so far, Collins said.
“If you’re not affiliated with any religion at all, there’s still a way to tell your spiritual story,” Collins said.
The combination of her experiences as a chaplain and as a professor sparked her curiosity to find the reason behind the decrease in religious affiliation, Collins said.
Participation and a Plan for Education
The research survey was conducted over March and April, providing students with the opportunity to opt into a focus group, Collins wrote in an email to the Graphic on April 19.
The research survey was open to students between the ages of 18-23. Collins said she and Barton chose this age range because it’s a formative time when students are asking big questions about life and faith.
Once Collins and Barton collect and synthesize the data over the summer, their goal will be to present their findings at a conference. The results will be used to educate pastors, faculty and fellow universities on how they can better understand the “why” behind the decrease in religious affiliation.
“The hope is that it would be instructive and like helpful for people who are caring for emerging adults,” Collins said.
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Contact Rachel Flynn via email: rachel.flynn@pepperdine.edu
