Religious and Spiritual Change in America: The Experience of Marin County, California

Publication Date: January 2002

Publisher: Institute for Jewish and Community Research

Author(s): Gary A. Tobin; Patricia Y.C.E. Lin

Research Area: Culture and religion

Keywords: Religion; Identity Formation; Prayer; Spirituality

Type: Report

Coverage: California

Abstract:

The authors explore the religious environment of Marin County, California as a case study of religious changes occurring in the United States. The study reveals five trends: traditional religious institutions have a higher level of involvement than other forms of religious affiliation; there is a growing population of religious searchers and numbers of people practicing faiths other than Christianity; this spiritual searching results in a growing number of people who are switching religions; those who don't switch religions often incorporate worship practice and/or ritual aspects of other faiths into their own; and there is a growing population that lives in households where more than one religion is practiced.