1. What’s Wanted & What’s Possible Responding to the Religious and
Spiritual Inclinations of Boomers
Reginald W. Bibby
October 18, 2018 1

2. The Boomer Backdrop

3. Boomers have been the key players A NUMBER OF MAJOR SHIFTS…
in bringing about
A NUMBER OF MAJOR SHIFTS…
From Dominance to Diversity: Pluralism
From We to Me: Individualism
From Deference to Discernment: Input
From Obligation to Gratification: Pragmatism
From Knowing Too Little to Knowing Too Much:
Information
6. From Homes to Careers: Women in Canadian Life

4. Do these shifts resonate with you

5. Boomers have been accomplishing much
Yet their accomplishments
have left many of them
a fair distance from paradise

6. Table Fulfillment: 2005 & 2016
“All of us start out life with lots of hopes and dreams.
How fulfilled do you feel with respect to your aspirations concerning…”
% Indicating “Very Fulfilled”
Pre- Boomers Boomers
Children % Marriage/relationship
Family life generally
Career
Education
Finances
Life as a whole
What wanted out of life 51 35 32 16 20 13 22 17
Source: Bibby, The Boomer Factor, 2006:127 and Project Canada

7. What is your take on these findings?

8. Boomer Religion & Spirituality

9. The Attendance Situation Weekly Attendance: 1950s and 2005

10. The United Church Situation National Membership (In 1000s)

11. “Blame it on the Boomers” Weekly Attendance by Age Cohort:
1975 & 2005
31%
Pre-Boomers
Boomers
Post-Boomers --- 25 37 18 24

12. TWO PRIMARY FACTORS Cultural: The Boomers Demographic:
Changing Immigration Patterns

13. Sources: Dominion Bureau of Statistics.
Countries of Origin:
Britain
France
Other European
Asia < <
Aboriginal <
Other <1 1
Sources: Dominion Bureau of Statistics.

14. Immigrant Totals: 2001-2011 (In 1000s)
Roman Catholic
No Religion 442
Muslim 388
Christian, n.i.e. 162
Hindu 154
Christian Orthodox 108
Sikh 107
Buddhist
Pentecostal 41
Anglican 23
Jewish 21
Presbyterian 17
United Church
Lutheran 7

15. Religious Identification in Canada: 2009 & 1931
% of Canadian Population
Source: Reginald Bibby, Computed
from Census and
2009 General Social Survey.

16. Monthly-Plus Attendance by Birthplace & Age: 2015
Source: Bibby-Reid 2015 Religion Survey.

17. Religion & Birthplace

18. Are immigrants showing up
The…
Are immigrants showing up
in your churches?

19. Cultural:
The Boomers

20. THOSE MAJOR SHIFTS… From Dominance to Diversity: Pluralism
From We to Me: Individualism
From Deference to Discernment: Input
From Obligation to Gratification: Pragmatism
From Knowing Too Little…: Information
6. From Homes to Careers: Women in Canadian Life
Diversity, acceptance
Individual needs, interests
Questioning, a say in things
Co-opting of ideas
Time demands, new roles
Have to find worthwhile

21. Source: Bibby, Project Canada 2005.
Some Choice Criteria
Pre-Bs BBs Post-Bs
My parents felt that they were
“supposed to go to church” 61%
People who attend religious
services should go not because
they feel they have to but because
they find it to be worthwhile
Source: Bibby, Project Canada 2005.

22. has seen spiritual needs and
The Boomer era…
has seen spiritual needs and
fragmented beliefs and practices persist, along with the desire for rites of passage.
But for most Boomers,
that’s about it. 22

23. The…
Is that what you find?

24. The Legacy

25. Religious ID of Teens: 1984 & 2008
Roman Catholic
Outside Quebec
Quebec
NONE
Protestant
United
Anglican
Baptist
Lutheran
Presbyterian
Christian unspecified
Other Faiths
50% 32
29 23
10 1
3 1
2 1

26. What’s the situation with children & younger people?

27. Getting down to specifics
Boomer Religion
& Spirituality

28. Boomer Tracking: Religion & Spirituality
<
Religious ID
Attendance (Monthly+)
Pray privately (Weekly+)
Believe in God or Higher Power
Have experienced God
Believe in life-after-death
Have spiritual needs
Spirituality very important
Religion very/somewhat important 80 26
--- 86 42 88 31 40 80 42 71 54 68 53 48 65 68
7049

29. Spirituality

30. Conceptions of spirituality: extremely varied
“Maybe all that people have in common is the word. But maybe that’s enough to at least get conversations started”
“Perhaps churches can provide safe places for
people to explore spirituality”

31. The…
Thoughts?

32. Boomer Tracking: Select Personal Needs
Concerned “A Great Deal or “Quite A Bit” (%)
Health
Your children
Money
Getting older
Should be getting more out of life
Time
Meaning & purpose of life
So many things changing
Looks
Depression
Sex life
Loneliness
Your marriage/relationship
Boredom
Job
4848 38 37 35 30 27 25 24 23 22 21 18 47 32 49 26 30 51 25 22 27 19 20 17 40 29 22 23 20 32 49
--- 24 28 26

33. The…
Your take?

35. “What would make greater involvement worthwhile?”
Spirituality
Personal
Relational

36. Spiritual
Personal
Relational

37. The…
Reality?
What are you able to bring?

38. Conclusion

39. Not Secularization… But Polarization…
Religious Not Religious
But Polarization…

42. The…
Basics
How do make contact?
What responses are possible?

43. “Give ‘em a reason!”