Can Bringing Older and Younger People Together Renew Religious Communities?

Authors

Eddie Gonzalez, CoGenerateFollow
Stefanie Weiss, CoGenerateFollow
Eunice Lin Nichols, CoGenerateFollow
Cal Halvorsen, Washington University in St. LouisFollow

Author's School

Brown School of Social Work

Author's Department

Social Work

Document Type

Report

Language

English (en)

Publication Date

5-2025

Abstract

In fall 2024, CoGenerate, in collaboration with Dr. Cal Halvorsen of Washington University in St. Louis, worked with YouGov to conduct a national survey of 1,500 adults (ages 18 and older) in the U.S. about their religious / spiritual communities, their interaction with older and younger people, and their views on building connections across different age groups. The survey was nationally representative by gender, age, race, education and political affiliation. Our findings reveal considerable age segregation in people’s lives and a strong appetite for intergenerational connection and collaboration – or “cogeneration” – to counter it. They also identify challenges and opportunities for harnessing cogeneration to support spiritual growth and transform religious life.

Comments

The survey is also available online at https://cogenerate.org/religionsurvey/

Authored by Eddie Gonzalez, CoGen Impact Fellow; Stephanie Weiss, Communications Director, CoGenerate; Eunice Lin Nichols, Co-CEO, CoGenerate; and Cal Halvorsen, Senior Research Fellow, CoGenerate, and Associate Professor at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis

Recommended Citation

Gonzalez, Eddie; Weiss, Stefanie; Nichols, Eunice Lin; and Halvorsen, Cal, "Can Bringing Older and Younger People Together Renew Religious Communities?" (2025). Brown School Faculty Publications. 66.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/brown_facpubs/66