A new survey from the Pew Research Center suggests that more Americans are beginning to see religion as a growing force in public life, even as debates continue over the role of faith in government, politics, and culture.
According to reporting from EWTN News, Pew’s latest study found that 37% of U.S. adults now believe religion is gaining influence in American life — a sharp increase of 19 percentage points over the last two years. While a majority of Americans, 61%, still believe religion is losing influence, the new data points to a notable shift in public perception.
The report, titled “How Americans Feel About Religion’s Influence in Government and Public Life,” was released May 14 and was based on a survey of more than 3,500 adults conducted in April. Pew noted the survey carried a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.
Catholics in particular expressed a generally favorable view of religion’s place in society. According to the survey, 65% of Catholics said they hold a positive view of religion, while only 12% expressed a negative opinion. Another 22% reported neutral or unclear feelings.
Overall, 55% of Americans said they view religion’s role in public life positively. Among them, 21% said religion’s growing influence is a good thing, while 34% said religion’s declining influence is bad for the country.
The survey also explored Americans’ opinions about Christianity’s place in government and law. Pew found that 17% of Americans now believe the government should declare Christianity the nation’s official religion, up from 13% in 2024.
At the same time, many respondents favored a more indirect role for faith in public life. According to the report, 43% said government should promote Christian moral values without officially establishing Christianity as the national religion, while 38% said the government should “not establish an official religion or promote Christian values.”
Questions surrounding Scripture and public policy also revealed significant divides. Pew found that 28% of Americans believe the Bible should influence U.S. law. Among Catholics, however, a majority — 55% — said the Bible should have influence on the nation’s laws.
The survey additionally examined attitudes toward “Christian nationalism,” a term that has become increasingly prominent in political and cultural discussions. Pew reported that public familiarity with the term has risen significantly, climbing from 45% two years ago to 59% in 2026.
Still, Americans were far more likely to view Christian nationalism negatively than positively. According to the report, 31% expressed an unfavorable view, compared with just 10% who viewed it favorably.
Americans also continued to support maintaining boundaries between religion and government. Pew found that 54% said the federal government should enforce the separation of church and state, while only 13% said the government should stop enforcing it — a decline from 19% in 2021.
Among Catholics, 49% supported government enforcement of church-state separation, while 16% said enforcement should stop.
Despite disagreements over religion’s role in society, Americans across political lines largely agreed that churches should avoid endorsing political candidates. According to the survey, 79% said churches and houses of worship should not endorse candidates during elections, and 66% said churches should stay out of political matters altogether.
The report also highlighted stark differences between Republicans and Democrats on religion’s role in public life. Pew found that 75% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents hold a positive view of religion’s influence, compared with 38% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.
Likewise, 45% of Republicans said the Bible should influence U.S. laws, compared with just 13% of Democrats.
Even with those differences, majorities in both political parties agreed that churches should not endorse political candidates, with 74% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats supporting that position, according to the survey.
For many Catholics, the findings reflect a nation still wrestling with questions about morality, faith, and public life. While opinions differ sharply on how religion should influence government, the growing belief that faith is once again shaping American culture may signal a renewed openness to spiritual questions in an increasingly divided society.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
