About 100 years ago, and even at the beginning of the 21st century, religion spread much faster than in recent years. The period from 1981 to 2007 was analyzed for the spread of religious trends and missionary activity in 49 countries (Inglehart, 2020). As a result, it was found that most high-income countries have become less religious. However, in 33 of the 49 countries in the study, people have become more spiritual, but in today’s world, everything is changing at a rapid pace (Inglehart, 2020). From 2007 to 2021, the vast majority (43 out of 49) of these same countries became less religious (Inglehart, 2020). There are many hypotheses about why the population is becoming less religious, and one of these reasons is less active missionary activity among believers.
The most dramatic departure from religion or decline in its dissemination occurred among American Christians. The United States has long been an example of a highly developed and rapidly developing state with a large percentage of the believing population. That was proof that economic development does not necessarily lead to secularization. However, in recent years, the American people have been moving away from religion, as have virtually all other countries with a high standard of living. Thus, the United States, on the contrary, became an example of a sharp decline in missionary activity and, presumably, in connection with this, a rapid loss of religiosity among developed countries.
The socio-cultural situation primarily determines the upbringing of a person, the era in which people live, study, and are brought up. For example, moral criteria cease to be the deep motives of human behavior. The modern era, which is more often called the ‘new era,’ has made a revolution that many do not realize yet. Words such as ‘new generation,’ ‘new era,’ and ‘new thinking’ are a statement of a new, often inverted understanding of the basic concepts of nobility, honor, dignity, love, feat, gratitude, responsibility, and, in general, everything that has been peace was maintained and human relationships were built. In the minds of people, even religious ones, other images, norms, and values are implanted: individualism and consumerism are elevated to the rank of life principles.
Nowadays, a growing number of countries have achieved high life expectancy and dramatically reduced infant mortality rates, making traditional cultural norms less necessary. People are slowly relinquishing their childhood beliefs and social roles regarding gender and sexual behavior and are becoming more tolerant. Today, it is customary to talk about freedom of choice in a developed country. As a result, many believe Christians refuse active missionary work. However, this negatively affects the number of the believing population in the country because the younger ones take it for granted, and they have no concept of canonical religiosity.
Modern youth do not have a clear idea about the main provisions of the dogma of those confessions to which they consider themselves. Young people, identifying themselves with specific admissions, often do not know the content of the most important provisions of the religion. Despite the increase in religiosity and the growth in the number of people participating in religious services, their share remains low. The content of the spiritual consciousness of young people is not organized into a single system and does not have a clear structure. Thus, the decline in missionary work can be explained by the lack of awareness of Christians and the conditions of the developing world.
Reference
Inglehart, R. F. (2020). Why is religion suddenly declining? OUPblog.