A Religious Realignment
Religion’s role in society is shifting. How might a conversation between the ancient and the emergent transform the next decade? Originally published January 16, 2020.
My father once served as the altar boy at Carmel Mission, one of the oldest Roman Catholic establishments in California, while my mother grew up surrounded by the traditional Hindu teachings of her local Kali Mandir temple in New Delhi.
As a result, I was immersed in a melting pot of religions from a young age. While I was raised to not eat beef given Hindus’ deep respect for cows, I also found myself reciting The Lord’s Prayer several times a week in my Episcopal school’s chapel. These religious teachings differed greatly in their sacred texts and accepted truths.
They also presented me with a cohesive message on how to be – embody reciprocity, incorporate gratitude into all aspects of life, embrace love as a unifying force, and be true to your word. As my own beliefs have evolved, this foundation has served as a grounding force, providing me with strength and stability through ups and downs. Looking beyond myself to the world around me, I wonder whether we can and should do more to support a similar “conversation between the ancient and the emergent” for the next generation.
A Secular Shift
Religion’s participation rate worldwide is greater than that of the internet – by billions of people, in fact. Its enduring multi-pillar value proposition, strong brand affiliation on a religion-by-religion basis, and engaged member base have empowered religious institutions to establish themselves as the cornerstone of communities, the driver of social norms, and the catalyst behind some of the greatest movements of our time. However, the data reveals that religion’s traditional positioning in the West is shifting. Church membership in the U.S. has dropped by roughly 25% since 2000. Today, less than half of American millennials identify with a place of worship.
The norm of the Western world is, objectively, shifting towards a more secularly oriented society and the repercussions cannot be ignored.
Given religion’s profound presence in the lives of billions, it is worth considering how we can better fill the gaps that have emerged in the numerous networks that have historically been directed by religious organizations.
The Promised Utopia vs. 2020 Reality
A century ago, Nietzsche suggested that the Western world was killing God by replacing Him with ourselves. Supported by the cultural disappearance of guilt, a rise in self-directed spirituality, and the development of an outcomes-oriented society, hundreds of millions of Millennials and Gen Z-ers in the West were raised to believe that society should afford them all the tools, technology, and science needed to construct a utopia. While Hollywood left us starry-eyed with images of such an idealized existence, our parents wholeheartedly promised us a better tomorrow.
Yet today, loneliness levels have reached an all-time peak, 13% of Americans are on antidepressants, the U.S. suicide rate is at its highest since World War II, and polarization appears to be rising considerably across society. I view these stats to be both unsustainable and unacceptable. As we enter a new decade, perhaps it is time to return to the power of love, compassion, inspiration, and humility – principles closely tied to religious ideology – to propel us forward.
Building a Better Tomorrow
So, where can we apply such forces for good today? I see opportunities emerging across three broad spheres – me, my community, and the world beyond.
While the chart above is far from comprehensive in scope given religion’s widespread impact, the seven following core considerations speak to some of the greatest gaps that I currently see in the absence of religion and highlight opportunities for societal enhancement that we are eager to support over the coming years.
I. Mindfulness
Buddhism has long taught meditation as a technique aimed at creating a state of “bare attention” in order to achieve enlightenment. Beyond Buddhism, other faiths have encouraged followers to direct their focus to the moment, in order to drive similar mindfulness and awareness of the present. Today, as humans seek rhythm and peace elsewhere, we’ve seen a broad-based app-ification of meditation. Meditation is now the fastest-growing health trend in America, with the number of meditators tripling between 2012-2017. For context, Headspace alone has >35M users while Calm too has driven >25M downloads for their meditation and mindfulness apps. With research suggesting that mindfulness both boosts compassion and reduces biases, might there be societal benefit to supporting and exploring the untapped opportunities, particularly those targeting underserved populations, in this broader space? Furthermore, as we seek to address the feelings of isolation that plague so many today, might group or community-oriented mindfulness practices present another viable possibility worth exploring?
II. Meaning
For thousands of years, Hindus have pointed to Samsāra (the continuing cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth) and Karma (action, intent, and consequences) as two of the core truths defining life itself. More broadly, religion’s explanation of the unexplainable has provided context to people and to world events. Today, increasing acceptance of secular mysticism is providing many with a new source of hope and an explanation behind the why’s of the world. Almost 30% of Americans believe in astrology. This corresponds to a large and growing $2.2Bn in annual spend associated with “mystical services” like tarot card reading. With digital astrology platforms like Co—Star generating millions of downloads and purpose seekers ranging from digital nomads in Bali to SoulCycle fanatics in New York looking for deeper meaning through immersive experiences, it feels like the momentum behind Millennials and Gen Z’s search for hope and direction is driving accelerating innovation and adoption. Yet, existing solutions still fail to answer the questions of “why” and “how” for many. Moving forward, what alternate avenues should exist to provide more comprehensive answers to life’s most perplexing questions?
III. Community
As a faith, Judaism embodies fellowship as Jewish people come together not only weekly for local Shabbat dinners and services but also as larger groups for organized Birthright trips to Israel, which breed lasting friendships. This sense of community, belonging, and support is, for many, religion’s most overarching impact on the experience of life. In the absence of such a framework, many today are searching for alternative systems of affiliation – be they in real life (IRL) experiences or digital communities. Over the past few years, entrepreneurs and investors have been increasingly dedicating time and funding to a new emerging class of social networks, frequently centered around a specific demographic or psychographic. One such IRL community is The Wonder, a playful members space in New York City for curious, imaginative families that leverages communal spaces and curated programming to foster meaningful discovery and connections for parents and children. Another more digitally-oriented network is Wana, a community that fosters hope, direction, and healing for those with chronic and invisible conditions. Might society be approaching a meaningful inflection in the broad-based formation and activation of such high impact communities? If so, what can we as an ecosystem do to support those who are addressing the loneliness epidemic in such a direct manner?
IV. Inspirational Engagement
Each Sunday, hundreds of millions of Christians make their way to church to gather under the guidance of a pastor for a formal service. Similar weekly gatherings across faiths typically include a sermon, a lecture addressing a theological or moral topic with the goal of outlining whom one should aspire to be – a North Star of sorts. In the absence of such consistent reminders, individuals have increasingly sought guidance from thought leaders across other channels – be they podcasts, webcasts, or IRL experiences. Exemplifying this trend, Brené Brown’s Ted Talk, “The Power of Vulnerability,” has garnered over 45M views and highlights society’s desire for intrapersonal direction. Similarly, societal pillars ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop to Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions have provided followers with various avenues for personal guidance and engagement. Looking ahead, as we consider the evolving needs of those populations experiencing inflections – Gen Z entering the workforce, millennials entering parenthood, Gen X entering empty nest-hood and retirement, and Boomers entering their next phase of life – is there potential for new evangelists to emerge as leaders of this evolution? If so, what platforms will might they leverage and how might their delivery methods and messages differ from today’s cultural cornerstones?
V. Ritual
While visiting my cousin Sister Esther at The Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, CT a few years back, I was awed by the nuns’ dedication to the traditions of their order, from their Benedictine commitment to manual labor to their frequent Latin chants that filled the convent’s chapel. Complementing the sacred nature of religion itself, many faiths incorporate a sense of ritual and tradition into elements of their practice, creating a unifying connection to the past, future, and broader mission. Today, many are increasingly seeking ritualistic guidance in secular spheres as they pursue similar grounding in the world around them. One innovator meeting the needs of such seekers is Better Place Forests, a company that is redesigning the end-of-life experience by building America’s first conservation spreading forests for families and individuals choosing cremation and valuing a sustainable legacy. As we see many tiring of perpetual transiency in the age of social media, is there a potential for other properly positioned players to reincorporate ritual and a sense of association with a greater purpose into the lives of those desiring it most?
VI. Morality
In Hinduism, Dharma reveals practices that are in accordance with natural order, and include rights, duties, conduct, laws, and virtues that outline how devotees should live their lives. Over the course of time, religious organizations have taught young minds a more generalized Golden Rule – “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Today, the wavering of this previously accepted universal standard presents a risk, with society assuming the role of referee in many instances. Though a daunting reality, there exist examples that inspire hope. Me Too’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the root causes of and societal structures perpetuating sexual harassment speak to our collective ability to raise ethical standards when unified behind a cause, while Twitter’s “cancel culture” has more recently led to the departures of executives who’ve failed to embody the values and ethics of their organizations. As we look ahead to the next decade, we recognize that “Tech” may find itself at the intersection of such discussions. We frequently remind ourselves that “with exponential technology comes exponential responsibility.” So, what role should investors, advisors, and founders play in holding companies, employees, communities, and themselves to higher moral standards?
VII. Charity
Universally, Muslims are encouraged to donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need as their fulfillment of Zakat, the third of The Five Pillars of Islam. Religious organizations across denominations have similar passing the hat practices to support the less fortunate within their faith and beyond. Today, with fewer individuals regularly attending services, we’ve seen an emergence of secularly oriented charity platforms and strong engagement from those seeking a way to give back. One such platform is Kiva. Kiva, a peer-to-peer micro-lending pioneer, has funded over $1.4Bn of loans over the past 15 years. Similarly, we’ve seen strong growth in spaces like voluntourism, the combination of community service with leisure travel, which is now more than a $173Bn industry. With growing demand for opportunities to give back, how can we leverage innovation and our ever-expanding toolkits to facilitate charitable giving – be it through capital or service?
Mythologist Joseph Campbell once offered, “If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living.”
So, I ask, “How can we build frameworks to empower people to follow their bliss and fulfill their purpose?”
By better understanding religion’s resounding impact on both individual and shared experience over time, we can enhance the lives of millions by addressing the gaps forming as a result of religion’s relative retreat in certain ecosystems. We hope that we can find world positive ways for the private sector to play a role in this transformation. If you’re equally as inspired, I’d love to dig in deeper with you. Find me on Twitter (@itsmeeraclark).