The Revival Spirit

In what seemed the frantic secularism of the '60s, God's obituary was regularly published. But even then, God was never in extremis. According to a Gallup poll, which was examined last week by both clerics and politicians. Americans today display an extraordinary degree of religious faith--the highest among industrialized nations in the world. An overwhelming 94% of Americans say they believe in God, and 69% believe in life after death. Meanwhile, other advanced nations--notably Japan, France, West Germany and the Scandinavian countries--are rapidly growing more skeptical.

Actually, the American levels of belief in God and afterlife have remained fairly constant since 1948. But the deep disenchantment with religion that spread through the '60s and early '70s seems to be ending. The percentage who think religion is "increasing its influence on American society " has climbed from 14% in 1970 to 39% last year. Today, 71% of those interviewed say they are members of a church or synagogue, and in a typical week 40% attend services.

The religious disposition of Americans may or may not have political meaning. It may suggest, however, that anyone counting on a secularized electorate to be repelled by a candidate's evangelical faith may be disappointed.

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