Trends impacting Bible engagement in Canada …
As with everything, Bible engagement is impacted for better or worse by various structures, beliefs, factors and norms. Understanding the culture we live in is vital if we’re to connect Canadians with Jesus and His Story effectively. So, what are some of the trends impacting Bible engagement in Canada?
Individualism and Relativism
Canada is a “Me” society. Autonomy is the measure of most things. Most Canadians are focused on their personal aspirations and absorbed by their pleasures. What’s “right” is primarily determined by “my point of view” and “what works for you.” Personal preferences and opinions trump truth. No single viewpoint is considered superior to another.
Church Attendance
Church attendance continues to decline. Weekly church attendance in Canada has fallen dramatically since its heyday in the 1950s (53% in 1957, 24% in 1990, and 21% in 2005). Only one in three young adults who attended church as a child regularly attend church now. Church attendance and Bible engagement rise or fall together.
Atheism
Atheism has become a significant option for religion. In the 1960’s it was frowned upon by society, but today 15% of young Canadians classify themselves as atheists. Atheists are organized and connected. When the article Bible Reading in Canada was published on the jumpintotheword blog, the Society for Atheists and Agnostics, as well as other atheists, tweeted the article to their networks. In just 36 hours, more than 5,500 atheists downloaded the article! Why? They were celebrating the news about the decline in Bible engagement!
Immigration
Nearly 21% of the Canadian population (6.8 million) are foreign-born. In some cities, visible minorities are the majority. More than 50% of the population of Canada’s largest city, Toronto, were not born in Canada. Most newcomers to Canada come from Asia. The most significant visible minority in Vancouver, with 28% of the population, are of Chinese descent.
Community Cohesion
Ethnicity, divergent interests and worldviews increasingly isolate Canadians from their neighbours. Individualism is fostering private life at the expense of the community. Canadians are not really expected to know one another. Technology supports this trend. We read about the “gathering” of communities via the Internet, yet in most cases, these people never meet in person.
Affluence
Canada is ranked sixth globally for the highest quality of life and ninth for purchasing power per capita. Since 1990, there has been a rising income inequality in Canada. Thirty-four percent of Canadians saw their wealth increase last year by about 14%, while 38% saw their wealth decrease by an average of 23%.
Rise of the “Nones”
Many Canadians are leaving religion in favour of a more individualized spirituality. The fastest growing “religious” group in Canada is people who identify their religious affiliation as “none.” The percentage of Canadians identified as having no religious affiliation is 24% (2011). In 1971, just 4% of Canadians were religiously unaffiliated. The rise of the “nones” cuts across all demographic groups and is evident among all age groups in all regions of the country. [Note: While “Nones” say they’re not affiliated with a religion, they’re surprisingly religious. Most of them do not identify themselves as agnostic or atheistic, 40% believe in God, 20% of them attend religious services annually, and more than 10% pray weekly]
Other Religions
Since 1981, there has been a 7% increase in Canadians who belong to other religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism. Taken together, one in ten Canadians adhere to these religions. Before 1950, there were virtually no Muslims in Canada (less than 0.01%). In 2011, there were more than 1 million Muslims (3.2%).
Mainline Protestant Decline
The reshuffling of dominant denominations has occurred over several decades. Mainline Protestants (Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United) are no longer in the spotlight. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is growing. Protestant Evangelicals and Catholics, though polarized religiously from society, occupy the religious centre stage.
Worldview
Canadians value peace, order, tolerance, good government, healthcare and social equity. In large part, Canadians have a strong liberal tilt on ethical matters and define morality by what justifies their lifestyle. Increasingly, and usually without the guidance of organized religion, Canadian society is dramatically reinventing, refining, or undermining (depending on your point of view) morality.
Technology
While Canadians have a love-hate relationship with technology, 86% say technology makes them more efficient in the workplace, and 74% say technology improves their quality of life. Eighty-three percent of Canadian households have home access to the Internet (2012) – nearly double the worldwide average.
Religious Behaviour
There is a widening divergence of religious behaviour between Canadians born inside and outside the country. Canadian-born persons who do not attend religious services increased by 15 percent between 1985 and 2004, whereas there was no decline in attendance at religious services among first-generation immigrants. Attending religious services is higher among Canadians born outside the country than those born inside the country.
Education
In the 1970s, by an eight-point gap, Canadians with higher levels of education were less likely to have a religious affiliation than Canadians with lower levels of education. In 2011, this had narrowed to a two-point gap – 23% of college graduates had no religious affiliation versus 21% of those without a college degree.
Social Media
On a per capita basis, Canada has the most social networking users globally. Nearly 50% of Canadians use social media at least once a month. Facebook has cornered the market – signing up 93% of Canadian social media users. Social media is changing how people interact, but the implications and impact of these changes are not yet known.
What do you think about the trends impacting Bible engagement in Canada? What would you add to the above list?
Related Articles
Consumerism and Bible Engagement
Bible Engagement in a Changing World: Responding to Cultural and Technological Shifts
Summary
Trends such as individualism, atheism, and the rise of the “nones” are reshaping Bible engagement in Canada, making it more challenging to connect people with God’s Word. The decline in church attendance and the increasing influence of technology and social media further contribute to these shifts. Additionally, the growing diversity through immigration and the rise of other religions influence Canadians’ worldviews and engagement with faith. Understanding these trends is crucial for effectively reaching and engaging Canadians with the Bible as religious behaviours evolve.
Sources
Angus Reid
eMarketer
Canadian Bible Engagement Study
Canadian Internet Use Survey
Forum Research
Fotolia Research
Gallup Poll
Gini Coefficient
God and Society in North America
Haemorrhaging Faith Study
Human Development Index
Parliamentary Information and Research Service
Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life.
Statistics Canada General Social Survey
Statistics Canada 2011 National Household Survey
World Bank
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