February 24, 2025

The Burge Report: How Church Attendance Makes You a Better American

29 minutes

Social capital refers to the unseen connections that unite individuals within a local community. It inspires people to support the local school system even if they don’t have children or to volunteer for a city park cleanup even if they rarely visit it. It’s the cohesive force that strengthens society and sustains a thriving democracy. Ryan Burge joins the show to discuss the connection between social capital and church attendance and how being active in church makes you a better person for your community and nation.

In the early 2000s, houses of worship were considered one of the last remaining engines of social capital in the United States. What happened?

Trust is at an all-time low. In the most recent data collected in 2022, the share of Americans who said other people could be trusted reached an all-time low of just 26%.

Why are evangelicals a skeptical group? And does church attendance help or hurt this skepticism?

What does the future hold for social capital and the church?

Resources:

Upward Sports

Filament Bible Collection

Tyndale House Publishers

Ryan Burge

“How the Rise Of Evangelical Distrust Is Making Evangelism Harder” by Ryan Burge

“Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam (affiliate link)

FREE Research Report! New Surprising Insights

Church Answers Central

The Hope Initiative

Episode Sponsors:

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Schedule your call today – www.Upward.org/ChurchAnswers

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By Thom Rainer

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