Harvard Bombshell: Half of America Is Lonely Because It Abandoned Church

Harvard Research Reveals Half of Americans Are Lonely as Church Attendance and Civic Life Collapse

Researchers at Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program have released a study connecting the epidemic of loneliness sweeping America to steep declines in religious participation and civic engagement.

The study, led by Brendan Case, associate director for research, and Tyler VanderWeele, director of the program, was published in response to a 2023 advisory from then U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warning of an "epidemic of loneliness and isolation" across the United States.

By some measures, half of all Americans now report experiencing loneliness, with the highest rates found among young people. Just 17% of adults ages 18 to 29 said they feel "deeply connected to at least one community."

Marriage and birth rates have fallen to all time lows. Religious affiliation and participation, along with other forms of civic life, have declined steeply. Just under half of Americans belonged to a religious congregation in 2023, a historic low point according to Gallup, which has tracked this trend since 1937.

The researchers identified several contributing factors: stagnant wages, low skilled dead end jobs, and financial instability that erode family stability and community involvement. Among youth, expanded school days, supervised activities, anxious parenting, and excessive screen time have reduced unstructured socializing.

Religious community and marriage are probably humanity's oldest forms of community, present in nearly all societies, and have consistently been shown to have strong effects in promoting flourishing.

The study noted that about half of Americans consider themselves religious but do not attend services, citing "secular competition" from work and children's sports as barriers. The researchers also found that current welfare programs financially penalize marriage, with unmarried individuals receiving greater benefits than married couples.

Among proposed solutions, the Harvard team recommended revitalizing economic opportunities for less educated workers, enabling greater independence for young people, removing marriage penalties from welfare programs, and reviving Sunday closing laws to support religious attendance and worker rest.

How the Loneliness Epidemic Is Driving Americans Away From Faith and Community

Notably, 62% of those who described religion as "very important" to their lives reported feeling a sense of community belonging, compared to only 36% of those who are not religious. This finding suggests that religious participation may serve as a protective factor against the growing loneliness crisis.

The Crusader's Opinion

Half of America is lonely, and the answer has been staring us in the face for two thousand years. When we abandoned the pew, we lost more than Sunday routine. We lost the one institution that has bound communities together since the days of the Apostles. The data is now irrefutable: faith keeps people connected, married, and anchored. Every government program, every app, every wellness podcast is a pale substitute for a living church body. The West did not stumble into this crisis by accident. We chose convenience over communion, sports schedules over the Sabbath, and isolation over fellowship. It is time to choose differently.

Take Action

• Attend a local church service this Sunday and invite someone who lives alone or seems disconnected from community.
• Read the full Harvard Human Flourishing Program research at hfh.fas.harvard.edu and share it with your congregation's leadership.
• Support efforts to strengthen Christian community worldwide through www.TheShepherdsShield.org.
• Contact your local representative and ask them to support removing marriage penalties from federal welfare programs.
• Start a small group, Bible study, or fellowship meal in your home to build real community connections outside of Sunday services.