Why More Americans Are Seeking Religion episode artwork

EPISODE · May 12, 2026 · 44 MIN

Why More Americans Are Seeking Religion

from The Daily · host Deborah Lebree

After decades of declining church attendance and a profound rise in secularism, religion is having a moment in America. Lauren Jackson, the host of the Believing newsletter, talks to Asthaa Chaturvedi, a producer at “The Daily,” about why more people in the United States are now choosing to believe. Guest: Asthaa Chaturvedi, a producer at “The Daily.”Lauren Jackson, the deputy editorial director for newsletters and the host of Believing. Background reading:  Sign up for Believing, a weekly newsletter about modern belief.Americans haven’t found a satisfying alternative to religion. Photo: Cornell Watson for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After decades of declining church attendance and a profound rise in secularism, religion is having a moment in America. Lauren Jackson, the host of the Believing newsletter, talks to Asthaa Chaturvedi, a producer at “The Daily,” about why more people in the United States are now choosing to believe. Guest: Asthaa Chaturvedi, a producer at “The Daily.”Lauren Jackson, the deputy editorial director for newsletters and the host of Believing. Background reading:  Sign up for Believing, a weekly newsletter about modern belief.Americans haven’t found a satisfying alternative to religion. Photo: Cornell Watson for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NOW PLAYING

Why More Americans Are Seeking Religion

0:00 44:17

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Daily?

This episode is 44 minutes long.

When was this The Daily episode published?

This episode was published on May 12, 2026.

What is this episode about?

After decades of declining church attendance and a profound rise in secularism, religion is having a moment in America. Lauren Jackson, the host of the Believing newsletter, talks to Asthaa Chaturvedi, a producer at “The Daily,” about why more...

Can I download this The Daily episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!