The 1950s: Changes in Traditional Religiosity in the United States?

Abstract

Despite all the modernity of the United States, American religious life has maintained an intensity that European believers can only dream of. Historians of the twentieth century often state that American traditional Christian religiosity rose significantly in the 1950s, but sociological researches cannot prove the fact. The reason why historians and sociologists diverge in their opinions on possible increases in religiosity may dwell in the fact that both process different kind of data. When we harmonize them, it seems that the 1950s present no victory of traditional religious form over modernity. More than great change in religious life of individuals, the 1950s can be characterized by increased visualization of religious themes in public.

Keywords: religiosity, change, traditional, United States, 1950s, modernity