Key Faith and Culture Trends to Watch in 2025
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
By George Barna, Director of Research
Reprinted from Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University
Dear _____________,
With Donald Trump returning to the White House and Republicans holding majorities in both chambers of Congress, I believe 2025 is poised to be a year of profound political and cultural shifts. The most transformative changes may emerge from outside of Washington, D.C. and could redefine many areas of American life in the coming year— especially our nation’s faith and culture.
What emerging trends are we likely to see in the year ahead?
In my new report today, I identify a dozen key trends that we are likely to see this coming year, including five faith-related shifts and seven social transitions. My analysis draws on six years of research from the Cultural Research Center (CRC) and my more than 40 years of tracking national trends. It is rooted in data from CRC’s annual American Worldview Inventory—the nation’s only worldview tracking survey—and a series of other national surveys we’ve conducted in the recent past.
Here are some of the key trends from my 2025 faith and culture forecast:
- The Syncretism Train Will Keep Rolling – Since I began measuring worldview in the 1990s, the incidence of a biblical worldview in America has steadily declined—with just 4% of adults, 2% of parents of preteens, 1% of teenagers, and only 37% of Christian-church pastors holding a biblical worldview. Meanwhile, Syncretism—a worldview blending multiple philosophies for personal satisfaction—dominates, with 92% of Americans adhering to it. This trend is likely to grow as biblical teaching loses cultural influence.
- Discipleship Drops Off the Radar – Although discipleship claims by churches and parachurch ministries are many, the act of biblical mentoring is uncommon and my research provides no basis for expecting an upturn in serious discipleship, fueling the continuing decline in the influence of the Christian faith in American life.
- Mental Health Issues Escalate – Bombarded by news of institutional collapse, corruption, climate turbulence, financial chaos, crime, disunity, and social alienation, Americans already face skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, fear, and addictions. This mental health crisis will escalate in the coming year to unprecedented levels.
- Altering the Political Conversation – In the wake of the 2024 election, a new slate of social issues is likely to emerge, including a diminished focus on abortion and continued decline in political party affiliation, along with a redefinition of climate change and expansion of gender issues, moving beyond “transgenderism” to new frontiers in the gender rights and sexual autonomy battles.
- Reimagining the Family – In 2025, the family will be a contested and maligned social construct. After decades of debate over biblical family standards, a confused population will likely settle for inclusive solutions over biblical definitions, which will have significant negative, long-term consequences for our nation.
In today’s report I unpack in greater detail the five trends above and discuss seven more that I see on the horizon, including: changes in our view of God, the future of organized Christianity, and growing political engagement among some conservative churches, as well as social trends including Baby Boomers reinventing senior life, significant shifts in public schools and higher education, and the reconfiguration of the nation’s media.
The American public has been adrift for more than a decade, trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and what success looks like. This coming year we will face very important spiritual and cultural challenges that will continue to bring these foundational questions to the forefront.
In the end, our response to these shifts and the direction they have on our nation is really about worldview.
My hope in highlighting elements of today’s cultural forecast is encourage you to view the year ahead from a biblical perspective—and to pursue the God of the Bible for answers and strategies for the future. I also pray that you will encourage those around you to do the same.
CRC-Spiritual-and-Cultural-Trends-2025-1.pdf
George Barna, Director of Research
Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University
P.S. My detailed 2025 Faith and Culture Outlook is available here.
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