20% of Baby Boomers Have Become More Religious After 65

A study published in the Journal of Population Aging investigated the correlates of change in religiosity among baby boomers as they aged from their 50s to their 60s.

Older Americans becoming more religious
(Photo by Paul Vasarhelyi:Shutterstock.com)

Older boomers cited several reasons, from seeking solace in life after the death of a spouse to finding other sources of meaning after the loss of a job to a desire to pass on religious beliefs to their grandchildren.

The study authors noted that reasons relating to coping with loss and sensing an urgency to transmit their faith to future generations are only likely to increase as they grow older and that grandparents can make a real impact on the younger generations.

Researchers Merril Silverstein of Syracuse University and Vern L. Bengston of the University of Southern California used data from 599 respondents in the 2016 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Generations to assess religious change over the last decade.


From its beginnings, the Church of Scientology has recognized that freedom of religion is a fundamental human right. In a world where conflicts are often traceable to intolerance of others’ religious beliefs and practices, the Church has, for more than 50 years, made the preservation of religious liberty an overriding concern.

The Church publishes this blog to help create a better understanding of the freedom of religion and belief and provide news on religious freedom and issues affecting this freedom around the world.

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