In a divided country, Americans still have one thing in common: They believe.
Almost all Americans — 92 percent of adults — say they experience some form of spiritual belief, whether in a god, human souls or spirits, an afterlife, or something “beyond the natural world,” according to a major report published recently by the Pew Research Center.
“I can’t think of anything else this many Americans agree on,” Penny Edgell, a sociologist at the University of Minnesota, said.
But what does this widespread spirituality actually look like in practice? Experts have tried to answer the question in surveys and studies. By necessity, they have sorted millions of people into fixed identity categories, like Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic, atheist and “nothing in particular.” What these labels can sometimes miss, however, is the rich complexity of our inner worlds.
In reality, believing is a messy, evolving process. The Times wanted to capture how belief takes many forms, both inside and outside of religion. We spent the last year working on a project intended to capture the landscape of contemporary religion and spirituality. We spoke with dozens of high-profile figures, religious leaders and writers. We also asked Times readers to tell us about a moment that shaped their beliefs. More than 4,000 responded.
Below, an edited selection of their stories.
Do you have a story to share about searching for belief? Tell us here.
